UK HealthCare CT Surgery will be located inside the North Fork Valley Community Health Center at the Bailey-Stumbo Building. Dr. Edward Setser, recently appointed as a University of Kentucky faculty member in the Department of Surgery’s Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, will be seeing patients and performing cardiothoracic procedures including coronary revascularization and heart valve replacements, at the Hazard ARH Regional Medical Center.

“At UK HealthCare we have a mission and a responsibility to improve access to high-quality care for all Kentuckians,” said Dr. Michael Karpf, UK executive vice president for health affairs.  “Thanks to partnerships with community health care providers such as the Hazard ARH Regional Medical Center, we are able to team up to make this a reality benefiting the people of Eastern Kentucky.”

“The ARH mission is to improve the health and promote the well-being of all of the people in Central Appalachia in partnership with our communities,” said Jerry W. Haynes, ARH President and CEO.  “This partnership with UK HealthCare will greatly enhance our ability to carry out our mission.”

Dr. Setser specializes in vascular and cardiothoracic surgeries. He received his medical degree from East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C., and completed a general surgery residency at Eisenhower Army Medical Center in Fort Gordon, Ga. He completed a cardiothoracic surgery residency at Brooke Army Medical Center in Fort Sam Houston, Texas.

“We welcome Dr. Setser to our UK team and look forward to the collaboration with the Hazard ARH Regional Medical Center,” said Dr. Joseph “Jay” Zwischenberger, chair of the department of surgery and director of the UK Transplant Center. “Not only will we be able to provide cardiothoracic procedures close to home for many patients, but all the advantages and expertise of our comprehensive academic medical center will be readily available when needed.”

In addition to the CT surgery program, the Hazard ARH Regional Medical Center has become the newest member of the UK Stroke Care Affiliate Network. As part of the network, UK’s Comprehensive Stroke Center partners with community and regional hospitals to develop community-based stroke programs for hospital staff and to community members.

“By educating members of the community and Emergency Medical Services personnel in the region, we work together to provide valuable information about recognizing the signs of stroke and the importance of early treatment,” said Dr. Michael R. Dobbs, director of the UK Comprehensive Stroke Program and director of the UK Stroke Care Affiliate Network. “Our affiliate hospitals teach us about their communities and their patients. Meanwhile, we provide access to the resources and knowledge we have as an academic medical center.”

When signing on to be a part of the UK Stroke Affiliate Network, a hospital agrees to maintain the capacity to serve as a first-line stroke treatment center.

“Many patients who go to their regional hospitals will still need to be referred to the UK Comprehensive Stroke Center- but the relationships built through the UK Stroke Affiliate Network mean patients will get optimal emergency care in their hometowns, and if they are transferred to UK Chandler Hospital we work as a team with their local physicians to ensure the patient receives the best treatment possible,” said Dobbs.

The other hospital members of the Comprehensive Stroke Affiliate Network are Georgetown Community Hospital, Harrison Memorial Hospital, Pattie A. Clay Regional Medical Center, Rockcastle Regional Hospital and Respiratory Care Center, Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital, St. Claire Regional Medical Center, and the Norton Hospital System.

About ARH
Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) is a not-for-profit health system serving 350,000 residents across Eastern Kentucky and Southern West Virginia. Operating nine hospitals, multi-specialty physician practices, home health agencies, HomeCare Stores and retail pharmacies, ARH is the largest provider of care and single largest employer in southeastern Kentucky and the third largest private employer in southern West Virginia.

The ARH system employs more than 4,700 employees and has a network of more than 600 active and courtesy medical staff members representing various specialties. Firmly committed to its mission of improving the health and promoting the well-being of all people in Eastern Kentucky and Southern West Virginia, in the past 12 months alone, ARH provided more than $120 million in uncompensated care for the uninsured and underinsured.

Consistently recognized for its medical excellence, the ARH system was one of two Kentucky health systems to be named earlier this year to the 2011 SDI IHN 100 listing of the most highly integrated healthcare networks in the nation, and was selected as the 2010 Outstanding Rural Health Organization in the nation by the National Rural Health Association (NRHA). Most recently, the Harlan ARH Hospital was named one of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals® by Thomson Reuters, a leading provider of information and solutions to improve the cost and quality of healthcare.

About UK HealthCare
Established in 1957, UK HealthCare consists of the patient care activities of the University of Kentucky. UK HealthCare facilities include UK Chandler Hospital, Kentucky Children’s Hospital, UK Good Samaritan Hospital, Kentucky Clinic, Markey Cancer Center and 80 specialized clinics and more than 140 outreach programs throughout Central and Eastern Kentucky.  UK HealthCare is comprised of a team of 6,000 physicians, nurses, pharmacists and health care workers all dedicated to patient health. Currently, an $800 million expansion project is under way that includes a 1.2 million-square-foot facility designed to support patient care for the next 100 years.  As part of the phased plan for the 12-story patient care pavilion, a new state-of-the art emergency department opened in July 2010 and public spaces including the atrium, auditorium and chapel as well as two patient floors with 128 beds opened in May 2011.

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Celebrations at each location followed the ribbon cutting and featured testimonials from breast cancer survivors as well as comparisons of a regular film mammogram to the images of the digital mammography equipment.

Digital mammography, also called full-field digital mammography (FFDM), is a mammography system in which the X-ray film is replaced by solid-state detectors that convert X-rays into electrical signals. These detectors are similar to those found in digital cameras. The electrical signals are used to produce images of the breast that can be seen on a computer screen or printed on special film similar to conventional mammograms. From the patient’s point of view, having a digital mammogram is essentially the same as having a conventional film screen mammogram.

Interpreting the results of digital mammograms is faster than film mammograms, because there is no film to develop. The image can be sent immediately to the radiologist for viewing. If the image is unclear, you will be told about it right away, and the image can be retaken. This may help reduce mammogram callbacks, and stress on patients.

Breast cancer often makes itself known in its early stages, when there’s a good chance for a cure. Regular breast screening exams are the number-one way to reduce the risk of dying from breast cancer.

All women can get breast cancer – even those with no family history of the disease. Women can help take control of their breast health by following the American Cancer Society’s breast cancer screening guidelines:

Age 40 and over
• Mammogram and clinical breast exam by a healthcare professional yearly.
• Perform monthly breast self-exams.
Age 20s and 30s
• Clinical breast exam by a healthcare professional every three years.
• Perform monthly breast self-exams

Any woman who thinks she might be at high risk for breast cancer, should talk with her doctor about her history and what options are right for her.

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Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) is a not-for-profit health system serving 350,000 residents across Eastern Kentucky and Southern West Virginia. Operating nine hospitals, multi-specialty physician practices, home health agencies, HomeCare Stores and retail pharmacies, ARH is the largest provider of care and single largest employer in southeastern Kentucky and the third largest private employer in southern West Virginia.

The ARH system employs more than 4,700 employees and has a network of more than 600 active and courtesy medical staff members representing various specialties. Firmly committed to its mission of improving the health and promoting the well-being of all people in Eastern Kentucky and Southern West Virginia, in the past 12 months alone, ARH provided more than $120 million in uncompensated care for the uninsured and underinsured.

Consistently recognized for its medical excellence, the ARH system was one of two Kentucky health systems to be named earlier this year to the 2011 SDI IHN 100 listing of the most highly integrated healthcare networks in the nation, and was selected as the 2010 Outstanding Rural Health Organization in the nation by the National Rural Health Association (NRHA). Most recently, the Harlan ARH Hospital was named one of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals® by Thomson Reuters, a leading provider of information and solutions to improve the cost and quality of healthcare.

Jane Leigh Powell, chairman of the Frontier Nursing Service Board of Governors, said the sale will ensure that Hyden and Leslie County will continue to have local access to quality healthcare.

“We were committed to identifying an organization that would continue to provide quality healthcare in the greater Leslie County service area. Appalachian Regional Healthcare has been the leading provider of care in Eastern Kentucky for more than 55 years and in fact, statistics from the Kentucky Hospital Association show that 47 percent of the people in Leslie County already go to ARH for their healthcare needs,” Powell said. “The ARH health system is consistently recognized for its quality and commitment to excellent patient care. We are confident that through this transition, the health of our communities will be in the best of hands and are pleased that 160 employees will keep their jobs.”

Powell said the FNS Board of Governors has been working with Alliant Management, a Louisville-based hospital management company, for the past year to stabilize the healthcare operation’s finances.  However, as has been the case throughout the country, a number of standalone hospitals are merging with larger healthcare systems in order to continue to be viable and sustainable. This transaction between FNS and ARH is consistent with what is occurring in the healthcare environment today.  ARH affords Mary Breckinridge Hospital and its related healthcare services stability and the opportunity to grow the services it provides, Powell said.

ARH President and CEO Jerry W. Haynes said it is ARH’s longstanding mission to ensure all residents of Eastern Kentucky and Southern West Virginia have local access to the medical services they need.

 “Much like the FNS, the ARH system has a deep history of serving the healthcare needs of the people of Eastern Kentucky,” Haynes said. “We are extremely proud that Mary Breckinridge Hospital and its related healthcare services will now be a part of the ARH system and our long-term plans for the future of healthcare in Eastern Kentucky. ARH is truly honored to have the opportunity to continue the legacy of Ms. Breckinridge and the healthcare services she created.”

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Mary Breckinridge Hospital is a Critical Access Hospital providing primary care services, a fully equipped emergency room, inpatient services, state-of-art diagnostic and ancillary services, and houses the Wasson Rural Health Clinic. The hospital employs more than 160 people, making it the second largest employer in Leslie County.

Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) is a not-for-profit health system serving 350,000 residents across Eastern Kentucky and Southern West Virginia. Operating nine hospitals, multi-specialty physician practices, home health agencies, HomeCare Stores and retail pharmacies, ARH is the largest provider of care and single largest employer in southeastern Kentucky and the third largest private employer in southern West Virginia.

The ARH system employs more than 4,700 employees and has a network of more than 600 active and courtesy medical staff members representing various specialties. Firmly committed to its mission of improving the health and promoting the well-being of all people in Eastern Kentucky and Southern West Virginia, in the past 12 months alone, ARH provided more than $120 million in uncompensated care for the uninsured and underinsured.

Consistently recognized for its medical excellence, the ARH system was one of two Kentucky health systems to be named earlier this year to the 2011 SDI IHN 100 listing of the most highly integrated healthcare networks in the nation, and was selected as the 2010 Outstanding Rural Health Organization in the nation by the National Rural Health Association (NRHA). Most recently, the Harlan ARH Hospital was named one of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals® by Thomson Reuters, a leading provider of information and solutions to improve the cost and quality of healthcare.

This is the third time Harlan ARH has been recognized with this honor. As a Top 100 Hospital, Harlan ARH is recognized as one of the best in the nation at providing care that is effective, safe and patient-centered.

The Thomson Reuters 100 Top Hospitals® study evaluates performance in 10 areas: mortality; medical complications; patient safety; average patient stay; expenses; profitability; patient satisfaction; adherence to clinical standards of care; post-discharge mortality; and readmission rates for acute myocardial infarction (heart attack), heart failure, and pneumonia. The study has been conducted annually since 1993.

“It is a tremendous honor to be recognized for the third time with such a prestigious award that clearly demonstrates the commitment our medical staff and all our hospital team members have to providing our community quality service-oriented patient care,” said Dan Stone, Harlan ARH Community CEO.

To conduct the 100 Top Hospitals study, Thomson Reuters researchers evaluated 2,914 short-term, acute care, non-federal hospitals. They used public information — Medicare cost reports, Medicare Provider Analysis and Review (MedPAR) data, and core measures and patient satisfaction data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Compare website. Hospitals do not apply, and winners do not pay to market this honor.
The winning hospitals were announced in the March 28 edition of Modern Healthcare magazine.

“This year’s 100 Top Hospitals award winners have delivered exemplary results, despite volatility from healthcare reform,” said Jean Chenoweth, senior vice president at Thomson Reuters. “The leadership teams at these organizations have dealt with enormous ambiguity yet remained focused on mission and excellence across the hospital which drove national benchmarks to new highs.”

ARH President and CEO Jerry W. Haynes said the award is a prime example of the level of medical excellence shown throughout the nine-hospital ARH system.

 “This is the second time in the past four years Harlan ARH has received this distinction and the third time overall in the history of the hospital, which speaks to the consistent level of care provided,” Haynes said. “It goes without saying that we are extremely proud of all of our people in Harlan that made this distinction possible, including our employees, medical staff members, local advisory council members, Auxilians, and chaplains.”

More information on this study and other 100 Top Hospitals research is available at www.100tophospitals.com.

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Harlan ARH is a member of the Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) system. ARH is a not-for-profit health system serving 350,000 residents across Eastern Kentucky and Southern West Virginia. Operating nine hospitals, multi-specialty physician practices, home health agencies, HomeCare Stores and retail pharmacies, ARH is the largest provider of care and single largest employer in southeastern Kentucky and the third largest private employer in southern West Virginia.

The ARH system employs more than 4,700 employees and has a network of more than 600 active and courtesy medical staff members representing various specialties. Firmly committed to its mission of improving the health and promoting the well-being of all people in Eastern Kentucky and Southern West Virginia, in the past 12 months alone, ARH provided more than $120 million in uncompensated care for the uninsured and underinsured.

The contract covers more than 750 of ARH’s registered nurses represented by the Southern United Nurses (SUN) and will be effective May 1.

“ARH entered into these negotiations with the goal of reaching a fair contract with competitive wages and benefits,” said Dan Fitzpatrick, executive director of Human Resources and Labor Relations for ARH. “The ratified agreement will help ARH remain a viable and sustainable healthcare system.”
 
ARH is a leading employer in the region and the new contract reflects the healthcare system’s dedication to remaining a major employer and economic engine in Central Appalachia.

“We are extremely pleased that our nurses have ratified the new three-year agreement,” said ARH President and CEO Jerry W. Haynes.  “In a time of uncertainty in the current healthcare environment and the overall economy, we feel this is a very good agreement that is evenly balanced.”

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Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) is a not-for-profit health system serving 350,000 residents across Eastern Kentucky and Southern West Virginia. Operating nine hospitals, multi-specialty physician practices, home health agencies, HomeCare Stores and retail pharmacies, ARH is the largest provider of care and single largest employer in southeastern Kentucky and the third largest private employer in southern West Virginia.

The ARH system employs more than 4,700 employees and has a network of more than 600 active and courtesy medical staff members representing various specialties. Firmly committed to its mission of improving the health and promoting the well-being of all people in Eastern Kentucky and Southern West Virginia, in the past 12 months alone, ARH provided more than $120 million in uncompensated care for the uninsured and underinsured.

I would like to begin this letter by wishing you a Happy New Year and a 2011 filled with good health and much happiness for you and your family.

Last year was filled with many news reports about the economic state of our country and how “healthcare reform” will not only affect the provision of healthcare, but the overall economy. You can expect to hear even more this year as regulations and healthcare reform continue to be rolled out. Although our ARH hospitals are located in rural communities, they are not immune to these changes and are feeling the effects of them. With all the different issues out there, I am often asked what these issues really mean for our patients, local healthcare operations, and communities.

Here is a brief explanation of some of the major national issues that are touching our local hospitals:

• An unstable economy. While the overall economy in this country has improved slightly over the past 12 months, unemployment continues to be high. In addition, state and local governments across the country have huge deficits to deal with, thus having fewer dollars for basic services, including healthcare. The overall economy is negatively impacting ARH just as it is affecting every healthcare provider in the country. Unfortunately, I do not see this situation improving in the near future.

• Shortfalls in Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement, which means payments from these government agencies are far less than our cost to provide services to the covered patients. These shortfalls negatively impact the ARH system since we operate in an area with some of the largest uninsured and underinsured populations. This is particularly troublesome in West Virginia where the current Medicaid rates cover only about 65 percent of costs. The state of West Virginia has a Medicaid budget surplus at this time which has been achieved by continually underpaying healthcare providers. In addition, our Beckley ARH Hospital is not permitted to charge the same rates as our competition, which puts even greater financial pressure on us in West Virginia. In addition, Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear announced this week in a press conference that unless the General Assembly approves his plan to shift $166.5 million from next year’s Medicaid budget to this year’s budget, payments to healthcare providers for Medicaid patients would fall by 30 percent. A reduction of payments of this magnitude would be the equivalent of a $25 million loss annually to ARH and would result in drastic changes for our patients, employees, and our communities.
 
• Healthcare reform, which would broaden the population that receives healthcare coverage in 2014 through Medicaid. Unfortunately, to pay for this expansion, healthcare reform will cut billions of dollars in Medicare payments to healthcare providers, potentially resulting in the total dollars we receive not increasing, but actually declining. Furthermore, the healthcare reform law has required ARH and other employers to modify benefit plans to extend dependent coverage for adult children up to age 26, remove life time coverage limits, and provide benefits coverage without consideration of pre-existing conditions. While the merits of these additional benefits can always be debated by everyone in our society, the issue that we are dealing with today is how ARH and other employers will pay for these additional benefits. At this point, ARH has had no choice but to increase the costs that our employees are paying for our health plans, which is problematic for our employees, their families, and our communities.

As we work to continue to progress in the face of these challenges, ARH is fortunate to have a dedicated team of caring employees, talented physicians, and devoted volunteers that are proud to serve our communities. There is no question that our people in Eastern Kentucky and Southern West Virginia are the most important factor in our system continuing to grow and prosper.

In mid-February our goal is to enter into negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement with the Southern United Nurses (SUN) and the West Virginia Nurses Association (WVNA), which represent approximately 750 of our registered nurse employees.

A successful resolution to negotiations with the SUN and the WVNA is necessary for the ARH system to continue to move forward in a positive way. ARH has been steadfast in our goal that our nurses continue to enjoy some of the most competitive wages and benefits in our region, while ensuring that ARH continues to be viable and sustainable. We will work diligently and transparently to negotiate a contract that is fair for all parties, competitive with the market, and enables ARH to continue to grow and compete with other healthcare providers in today’s healthcare market.

We want to keep you informed with the most up-to-date and accurate information about the status of these nursing negotiations. Throughout the duration of negotiations, we plan to communicate with you through letters such as these, and regular postings and updates on our online newsroom at www.arh.org/newsroom.

As the year progresses, we look forward to sharing with you the accomplishments of our healthcare system. While it is true that ARH faces the same financial uncertainty that now dominates healthcare providers across the country, I can assure you that ARH remains steadfast in our commitment to serve our communities.  We hope to expand our services and facilities so that, for generations to come, we can continue to offer quality care and service to the residents of Eastern Kentucky and Southern West Virginia.

Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Jerry W. Haynes
President and CEO
Appalachian Regional Healthcare

“We do not take this step lightly but do it to protect our patients,” Rocco Massey, community chief executive officer of BARH, said. “Medicaid reimbursements have been covering only two-thirds of our costs for providing medical care, so BARH has been suffering a substantial financial loss. These Medicaid rates jeopardize BARH’s continued ability to provide medical services to all of its patients.”

In fiscal year 2009, BARH received only $9.9 million for the $14.7 million the hospital spent to treat Medicaid patients. Of the $9.9 million in Medicaid reimbursements BARH received, $8.2 million came from federal funds. Of the $1.7 million the state put in that year to match federal funds, $1.4 million essentially came from BARH itself through the Medicaid provider tax the hospital pays. Thus, the state put in only about $300,000 of its own funds that year for Medicaid reimbursements for BARH.

“If the state had put in just $800,000 more, the federal government would have matched it with an additional $4 million,” Massey said. “That would have covered BARH’s Medicaid deficit in fiscal year 2009.”

BARH’s notice of intent to sue West Virginia’s Medicaid program is the second such notice issued recently. Less than four weeks ago, the West Virginia Primary Care Association, representing community health centers, filed a similar notice of intent to sue over inadequate Medicaid reimbursements.

A disproportionately large percentage of BARH’s patients, about 22 percent, are Medicaid beneficiaries, so shortfalls in Medicaid reimbursements significantly affect the hospital’s ability to operate or make necessary capital expenditures. BARH, a not-for-profit hospital, has little opportunity to shift costs to other payers, because about 47 percent of its patients are on Medicare (which pays 90 percent of costs), and another 14 percent are on other government programs or are considered bad debt or charity cases (paying less than cost, if anything at all).

“The Bureau for Medical Services is required by statute to set Medicaid rates that are reasonable and adequate to meet costs incurred by efficiently and economically operated hospitals,” Stephen Price, an attorney with Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs of Louisville, Ky., and counsel for Appalachian Regional Healthcare, said. “The bureau also is required to take into account the situation of hospitals that serve disproportionate numbers of low-income patients.”

State law provides that potential litigants must give 30-day notice before suing the state so that it might be possible to settle issues without litigation.

“We hope that state officials will use the next 30 days to revise Medicaid reimbursement rates and raise them to adequate levels so we can avoid legal action, but we are prepared to move forward if we cannot reach agreement,” Price said. “We understand the state has limited funds, but state law requires it to pay Medicaid costs. This proposed legal action is similar to actions Appalachian Regional Healthcare has taken successfully in Kentucky.”

Visit the ARH Press Kit at http://s313328855.onlinehome.us/arhnewsroom/press-kit/ to view the complaint and other communications concerning Beckley’s Intent to Sue West Virginia’s Medicaid Program.

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Appalachian Regional Healthcare, Inc., is a not-for-profit health system serving 350,000 residents across eastern Kentucky and southern West Virginia. Operating nine hospitals, multi-specialty physician practices, home health agencies, HomeCare Stores and retail pharmacies, ARH is the largest provider of care and single largest employer in southeastern Kentucky and the third largest private employer in southern West Virginia.
The ARH system employs 4,700 employees and has a network of more than 600 active and courtesy medical staff members representing various specialties. Firmly committed to its mission of improving the health and promoting the well-being of all people in eastern Kentucky and southern West Virginia, in the past 12 months alone, ARH provided more than $120 million in uncompensated care for the uninsured and underinsured.
Beckley ARH Hospital is a not-for-profit, 173-bed facility serving the needs of southern West Virginia. The facility offers a 60-bed Behavioral Science Unit, state-of-the-art imaging with advanced CT and MRI units, the largest emergency department in the region, home health services, pediatric services, HomeCare Store, cardiac catheterization, physical, occupational & speech therapy, cardiopulmonary services, general & specialty surgical services and sleep lab services. With over 550 employees, Beckley ARH is the third largest employer in Raleigh County.

“This decision has been very difficult for us. The residents and staff of our Long Term Care unit are very important to us,” Summers County ARH Community CEO, Wes Dangerfield said. “Summers County ARH Hospital has provided excellent care to members of the community through the long term care unit for the past 23 years and we deeply regret having to close the unit.  The commitment and dedication to provide quality care for our residents during this transition will not change.”

Due to the economic pressures brought on by the economy and policies related to Medicare reimbursements to critical access hospitals operating long term care facilities, the hospital can no longer financially afford to operate the long term care unit, said Dangerfield.  The governmental payment structure for hospitals is very complex.  In the 1990s, the Health Care Financing Administration, now known as CMS, issued a policy which allowed hospital provider tax payments to be an allowable cost on the hospital cost report for critical access hospitals.  This past summer, the Center for Medicaid and Medicare (CMS) issued a policy clarification whereby these provider taxes may not be deemed an allowable cost on the hospital cost report.  This change has already been implemented in Kentucky.  If this change goes into effect for West Virginia, it would cost Summers County ARH several hundred thousand dollars a year.

“Small rural hospitals across the country are struggling to keep their doors open and are having to make difficult decisions in order to maintain their economic viability and continue to provide care to our communities.  Unfortunately, Summers County ARH Hospital is no exception,” Dangerfield said.
 
Communications are being held with the 26 residents and/or family members who currently reside in the long term care unit, Dangerfield said. Staff hope to find alternate placement for the residents at other area long term care facilities in the next 30 days and will strive to coordinate the best location based on the resident’s needs.  This closure will also impact approximately 15 jobs.

The hospital has been in discussions for nearly three years with other parties to take over the operation of the Summers County ARH Long Term Care unit. In that plan, the long term care unit would have continued as is, but would have been owned, managed and operated by another party. No residents would have been displaced from the 36-bed unit due to the transition and there would have been little or no change in their care or the environment they were accustomed to.

“The continued regulatory challenges related to transitioning the long term care unit to another provider have led us to reach this unfortunate decision,” Dangerfield said. “While very difficult, the decision to close the long term care unit will afford Summers County ARH Hospital financial viability in continuing to provide quality care for the various other medical services we provide such as a 24 hour, seven days a week physician staffed Emergency Department, Medical Office Building, acute inpatient and outpatient care, rehabilitation, diabetes self-management, home health and durable medical equipment services.”

Summers County ARH Hospital currently employs 155 people and is one of the largest employers in Summers County. The hospital is part of Appalachian Regional Healthcare Inc., a not-for-profit healthcare system operating nine hospitals, physician practices, skilled nursing and rehabilitation service programs, home health agencies, pharmacies and HomeCare stores in Eastern Kentucky and Southern West Virginia. The ARH organization has approximately 4,500 employees system-wide.

“This designation means that Beckley ARH meets the highest standards for this level of trauma service,” said Rocco Massey, Beckley ARH Community CEO. “Access to trauma resources of this caliber is important to our community. Beckley ARH is pleased to help meet this community need.”

A trauma center is a hospital equipped to provide comprehensive emergency medical services to patients suffering traumatic injuries. Trauma centers grew into existence out of the realization that traumatic injury is a disease process unto itself requiring specialized and experienced multidisciplinary treatment and specialized resources.

The Beckley ARH’s 30-room ER is the largest in the area and features a fast track program for children: Quick Kidz, and Quick Kidz for Sports, Orthopedic coverage 24/7/365, and a tremendously skilled nursing staff.

“We are very proud of all the hard work done by our staff and physicians to make this certification possible,” said Elias H. Isaac, MD – Medical Director, Trauma Services. “It is because of them that we are able to offer this much-needed service to the people of our region.”

Beckley ARH Hospital is a member of the Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) System, which this year was named the 2010 Outstanding Rural Health Organization in the nation by the National Rural Health Association (NRHA). ARH is a not-for-profit health system serving 350,000 residents across Eastern Kentucky and Southern West Virginia. Operating nine hospitals, multi-specialty physician practices, home health agencies, HomeCare Stores and retail pharmacies, ARH is the largest provider of care and single largest employer in southeastern Kentucky and the third largest private employer in southern West Virginia.

The ARH system employs 4,700 employees and has a network of more than 600 active and courtesy medical staff members representing various specialties. Firmly committed to its mission of improving the health and promoting the well-being of all people in Eastern Kentucky and Southern West Virginia, in the past 12 months alone, ARH provided more than $120 million in uncompensated care for the uninsured and underinsured.