ARH Launches First Lifestyle Medicine Service Line in Kentucky

Lexington, KY —Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) introduced the official launch of its new Lifestyle Medicine Service Line on the ARH Hazard Clinic, making ARH the primary well being system in Kentucky to ascertain a proper Lifestyle Medicine program and considered one of only some in rural America.

During a grand‑opening occasion on January 22, attended by ARH management, clinicians, group companions, and members of the media, leaders emphasised the importance of this milestone for each the system and the area.

“We are grateful to have so many partners and supporters with us today as we officially launch ARH’s Lifestyle Medicine Service Line,” stated Nika Larian, Vice President of Wellness. “This is not an add‑on to an existing clinic visit but a dedicated service line with its own providers, time, and resources that is designed to support prevention, whole‑person care, and long‑term health outcomes. We are incredibly proud to bring this level of innovation to rural Kentucky.”

ARH Chief Ambulatory Officer Roy Milwee emphasised that the launch displays a broader technique to enhance well being outcomes throughout Appalachia.

“Appalachian Regional Healthcare has always been committed to improving health and well‑being across rural Appalachia, particularly in communities that face significant barriers to care,” Milwee stated. “Rural communities experience higher rates of chronic disease, poorer health outcomes, and fewer preventive resources. That means we must think differently about how healthcare is delivered.”

Milwee famous that ARH has invested closely in prevention lately, together with vitamin, bodily exercise, workforce wellness, and group packages similar to Food Is Medicine. The new service line, he added, represents the following step in that evolution.

“The Lifestyle Medicine Service Line builds on this work by bringing evidence‑based principles directly into clinical care in a structured and sustainable way,” he stated. “It aligns with our long‑term vision around value‑based care, workforce sustainability, and innovation. We are committed to ensuring that rural communities have access to the same forward‑looking models of care that are often limited to large, urban health systems, and today is only the first of many Lifestyle Medicine clinics across our system.”

Dr. Robin Magnani, ARH Regional Chief Medical Officer, who supplied a medical overview on the opening, defined how way of life drugs differs from conventional fashions.

“Lifestyle medicine is an evidence‑based specialty focused on preventing, treating, and in many cases reversing chronic disease,” Dr. Magnani stated. “Rather than managing symptoms alone, lifestyle medicine addresses the root causes of disease through sustainable, long‑term behavior change.”

Magnani famous that the ARH program was designed to align with nationwide greatest practices and incorporates the six pillars of way of life drugs: vitamin, bodily exercise, restorative sleep, stress administration, avoidance of dangerous substances, and optimistic social connection.

“Allie Davidson, our Lifestyle Medicine provider, has completed specialized training and credentialing through the American College of Lifestyle Medicine,” she added. “Her expertise ensures that our patients receive high‑quality, evidence‑based care tailored to their needs.”

Allie Davidson, APRN, the Lifestyle Medicine supplier and a Perry County native, shared her ardour for delivering this service near residence.

“I feel incredibly blessed to bring this resource to our patients, our employees, and the community here in Southeastern Kentucky,” Davidson stated. “In this clinic, we focus on the whole person. We take time to build relationships, understand each patient’s goals, and design individualized plans that support sustainable health and longevity.”

She emphasised that this system enhances a affected person’s present care group.

“This service line works in close partnership with primary care and specialty providers. Whether we’re improving disease markers or reducing long‑term risk, our care plans meet patients where they are. As someone who grew up here, I am committed to supporting the people of this region and helping this service line grow across the ARH system.”

The Hazard clinic will function a pilot location, with plans to increase the Lifestyle Medicine Service Line all through ARH’s ambulatory community within the coming years.

“This launch positions ARH at the forefront of preventive, patient‑centered care—not only in Kentucky but in rural America,” Milwee stated. “Today marks the beginning of something truly transformational for the communities we serve.”

Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH), is a not-for-profit well being system working 14 hospitals in Barbourville, Hazard, Harlan, Hyden, Martin, McDowell, Middlesboro, Paintsville, Prestonsburg, West Liberty, Whitesburg, and South Williamson in Kentucky and Beckley and Hinton in West Virginia, in addition to multi-specialty doctor practices, residence well being businesses, residence medical tools shops and retail pharmacies and medical spas. ARH employs roughly 6,700 individuals with an annual payroll and advantages of $474 million generated into our native economies. ARH additionally has a community of greater than 1,300 suppliers on workers throughout its multi-state system. ARH is the most important supplier of care and the one largest employer in southeastern Kentucky, and the third-largest non-public employer in southern West Virginia.