Twice a year, students from across the region are invited to apply for the Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) Scholars program. The ARH Scholars are awarded a $5,000 academic scholarship to pursue a degree in healthcare. Their stories are unique, but a common thread unites every winner: a desire to make a difference to the people of Appalachia through healthcare. The Spring 2019 class of ARH Scholars includes 11 talented future healthcare providers.

Aryn Pinson grew up in Pikeville, Kentucky, and she loved it. “I don’t think there is any better place to grow up. I love the hometown feel I get from Pikeville, and always having a community behind you is incredible.”

Aryn also loved Pikeville High School, where her mother is a teacher and where Aryn played volleyball in addition to her academics.

“I don’t think I would be where I am today if I didn’t have Pikeville High School.” Aryn says, “They taught me to have a strong work ethic.”

It takes a strong work ethic to succeed in medicine. While no one in Aryn’s family is in the medical field, she was inspired by friends of the family Sandy and Joel Thornbury, pharmacists who own an independent pharmacy in Pike County.

“They were such a good influence on me, and they are so devoted to their community. When people come into the pharmacy, the Thornburys know them by name and know what they need. They are willing to do anything for anybody. I www.QtheAgency.com

think a pharmacist should have those qualities. I love this profession and I credit them completely for that.”

After finishing up her four years at Pikeville High School, Aryn headed off to Eastern Kentucky University for her pharmacy school pre-requisites. Then, Aryn moved to Birmingham, Alabama to start pharmacy school at Samford University. So far, she’s enjoying the opportunities that Samford offers its students.

“This year I took part in the Birmingham Healthcare Access movement, which is a community health fair. We took people’s blood glucose and BMI and offered counseling services. I was stationed doing BMIs, taking the height and weight of patients and calculating their BMI for them. At a different station, someone would talk to them about what their BMI means and how they should go from there. It was eye-opening for me because it brought to light the need in the community.”

With so much need in the community, Appalachian Regional Healthcare is dedicated to helping students achieve their goals of getting a medical education. Aryn Pinson first heard about the ARH Scholars opportunity from her aunt who works at Hazard ARH Regional Medical Center. Though Aryn was overwhelmed at school during the application window, she pushed through and applied. And when she won?

“I was in shock. I could not believe it. It’s awesome that a healthcare provider in our community wants to help students strive for their goals, because sometimes funds are limited, especially in graduate school.”

When Aryn graduates in May of 2022, she plans to start her career at a bigger chain pharmacy to learn the ropes and catch her stride. Ultimately though, she wants to move home to Pikeville and open her own pharmacy. www.QtheAgency.com

“I want to help the people in my community,” she said. “I like having an impact on someone’s life. Being from a small community, pharmacists are often the most accessible healthcare provider. If you’re having a medical issue or a concern, you can just walk in and talk to a pharmacist. I want to be the person that my community can come and talk to, and I can help them figure out next steps. “

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Full story can be found in Appalachian News-Express, July 30th edition.

Twice a year, students from across the region are invited to apply for the Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) Scholars program. The ARH Scholars are awarded a $5,000 academic scholarship to pursue a degree in healthcare. Their stories are unique, but a common thread unites every winner: a desire to make a difference to the people of Appalachia through healthcare. The Spring 2019 class of ARH Scholars includes 11 talented future healthcare providers.

Logan Smith, from Barbourville, Kentucky became interested in the medical field in his sophomore year of high school. After sustaining a knee injury and subsequently undergoing a knee surgery, his interest in healthcare was piqued, but it was his time in physical therapy that was truly inspiring to him. He says it was the attentiveness of the physical therapists and assistants that first caught his attention: “I really appreciated how helpful everyone was at that office, and it sparked my interest as a potential career because I like work that’s more hands-on.”

He made sure to ask questions while he was there, and credits that therapist with inspiring him to pursue physical therapy as a profession. “I asked a lot of questions and he really helped me to understand the ins and outs of the job” Logan said. A friend of the family who works as a physical therapy assistant at Middlesboro ARH Hospital also mentored Logan and encouraged his interest in physical therapy. “I asked a lot of questions of him too. We talked about his work and what he liked and didn’t like about it. It was helpful to have people I knew who could honestly talk to me about the pros and cons of the job.”

Logan just finished his freshman year at Southeast Community College in Middlesboro and will graduate with his associate degree next May. He’s planning to transfer to University of Kentucky to finish his Bachelors before going on to obtain his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree.

Like so many other students pursuing a degree in healthcare, Logan’s road is long and expensive, and he’s driven to apply for as many scholarships as possible. He was ecstatic to discover the ARH Scholars opportunity, and even more thrilled when he was awarded the scholarship. “I’ve applied to so many scholarships, so to get even one is pretty rewarding,” Logan reflects. “The medical field is one of the most expensive fields to go into when it comes to the schooling. Prices get pretty high when you’re a medical student, so every little bit helps. It’s great for ARH to give back this way.”

ARH gives back through ARH Scholars, because ARH Scholars are driven to give back to their community through their work in the medical field. “Ultimately, I just want to help younger people who are injured, like I was. I feel like I can connect with them, and because I understand the mental process and physical process of healing, I can be there as a mentor. I think I’ll get a sense of gratification from guiding a young person from injury to performing the way that they want to. I can’t wait to see my patients get healthy.”

Click here to read Logan’s Story from Middlesboro Daily News.

The Fall 2018 class of Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) Scholars includes students from all over the region, in various stages of life with one common goal – to make a difference in healthcare throughout Appalachia. Twice a year, students from across the region are invited to apply for the ARH Scholars program. Recipients are awarded a $5,000 academic scholarship to pursue a degree in healthcare.

Brooke Benton grew up in a small town called Jackson in Eastern Kentucky. She completed her undergraduate studies at Transylvania University where she studied Chemistry and Classics. She is currently a 4^th year medical student at the University of Pikeville Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine. Before entering medical school, Brooke served as a college and career counselor at Jackson City School and a high school chemistry and physics teacher at Breathitt County High School in Jackson. While she loved Lexington, she decided to return home for medical school to be closer to family, friends and the community she loves. She originally decided to pursue medicine after attending a health careers summer camp at the University of Kentucky.

“When I was a sophomore in high school, I was invited to the University of Kentucky for a summer camp with health careers,” Brooke says. “I did a lot of shadowing and classes over the summer, and that’s really what initially drew me to medicine.”

Entering medical school, Brooke had the option to complete coursework to become a Doctor of Medicine (MD) or a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO). She ultimately chose the Osteopathic path which focuses on treating the entire body and mind rather than just the physical body.

“Osteopathic medicine just means that it’s a different philosophy,” she says. “It’s a very old tradition and I think it’s a growing one. It’s grown a lot in the last couple of years with new schools popping up all over the country.. After we graduate, we get the DO professional title after our name. We have the same practice and privilege rights as MDs. I took all the same classes and licensing board exams, and the curriculum is the same; the added benefit is the philosophy as well as training in osteopathic manipulative treatment (“OMT”). We have specific details within that philosophy about how we’re treating the whole patient’s body. We utilize OMT as a modality of treatment just as we might prescribe a medication or do a surgical procedure; this is a noninvasive and conservative approach to relieving dysfunction within the musculoskeletal system to better enable the body to heal itself from various ailments, be it back pain, headaches, acid reflux, etc. ”

This concept of treating the entire body and using a more holistic approach to healthcare intrigued Brooke. She has always had a passion for science, but as she began working more with patients, she developed a passion for the personal aspects of healthcare.

“Honestly, I didn’t know a whole lot about osteopathic medicine before I enrolled in medical school in Pikeville – I just wanted to go to medical school and really wanted to be close to my family,” Brooke says. “The more I delved into the history and philosophy behind it, I realized it’s something that is really easy to get on board with. We all want to be treated as a person. We don’t want to be treated as a lab value or an x-ray. I liked talking to people and learning about their stories, and that’s been a fun component of this as well. Learning more about people – where they come from, what motivates them – that goes over well with patients because we all want to be heard. That fits well with my goals and my career.”

Brooke has had several mentors throughout her life including her mother and two women who have served as examples in the medical field.

“My mom has been a big supporter and having her presence has been a big help,” she says, “Med school is busy. I don’t have a lot of time to do the normal running errands and keeping house work. She always listens if I’ve had a bad day or helps if I need something, so it’s great having that support system. Dr. Joanna Santiesteban, MD , an OB/GYN in Auxier, KY at Physicians for Women, has been a great mentor who guided me when I first was interested in the field of OB/GYN and trained me during my third year of med school for clerkship. What I know about the basics of OB/GYN, I learned from Dr. S. Dr. Holly Gallion, MD introduced me to a subspecialty within OB/GYN, gynecologic oncology. She taught me not just how to be a surgeon but how to treat people. I got ‘How to be a Surgeon 101’ from her, and I also learned how to take care of patients and make them feel like they’re more than just a medical record. At the end of the day that’s what we’re all about.”

Since entering medical school, Brooke has had the chance to complete clinical rotations all over the country. This has allowed her to gain experience in various hospital atmospheres preparing her for anything she faces as a physician. She was completing her rounds during a shift at the University of Kentucky when she learned she had been named an ARH Scholar.

“I was just at the hospital taking care of my patients [when I got the news], so it was a nice surprise,” she says. “It was a difficult week, so it was nice to have good news. I was very excited and honestly a little bit surprised, but good surprised. This scholarship means I will have freedom to advance my career without the stress of extra loan money.”

“The scholars are selected by the ARH Scholars Judging Committee,” says Danya Anderson, ARH Scholars Coordinator. “Once I receive the applications, I prepare them to be sent to the committee by making them a ‘blind’ application, which makes it fair for each applicant. The Scholars award is paid in two installments of $2,500 directly to the school.  One is payable after verification and the other is paid the following year. For this round, we had 73 applicants with 10 finalists awarded.”

After completing her residency, Brooke plans to return to Eastern Kentucky to practice as an OB/GYN. She is excited to offer care to women and their families, some of whom only ever visit the OB/GYN for care. Her heart is in the Appalachian region with the community she loves. She believes if the people in her hometown need her, it does not make sense to go elsewhere to practice.

“I just really want to take care of women and their families,” she says. “It’s about bringing awareness to women’s health issues. For a long time, there was a stigma associated with having a ‘female problem’ and it’s something we don’t really talk openly about. If someone has high blood pressure or diabetes, we’ll talk about that. But when women are coming to their providers, there’s a certain hesitancy, even with their providers who they trust, to discuss these issues. I really hope I can help to break down these barriers. If I can hit a targeted population that may not be getting preventative care elsewhere, I want to fill that gap.”

The Fall 2018 class of Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) Scholars includes students from all over the region, in various stages of life with one common goal – to make a difference in healthcare throughout Appalachia. Twice a year, students from across the region are invited to apply for the ARH Scholars program. Recipients are awarded a $5,000 academic scholarship to pursue a degree in healthcare.

Sarah Hoskins grew up in a family full of medical professionals. From a young age her family instilled the importance of working in the healthcare field and the impact they make every day. Her mother, great aunt and cousin all work for ARH. It’s only fitting that Sarah carry on her family’s ARH connection as an ARH Scholar.

“I have a lot of family members who work at ARH, so growing up seeing them helping so many people and enjoying their jobs really inspired me to do the same,” she says.

She graduated from Belle County High School and is now a sophomore nursing major at Lincoln Memorial University (LMU) where she is also on the cheerleading team. She is from Middlesboro, Kentucky, where she lives with her father who is a teacher at Yellow Creek School Center, her mother who works for Middlesboro ARH, her brother, and their poodle named Pepper. Spending her entire life in the Eastern Kentucky area has fostered a passion for the community she calls home.

Sarah originally learned about the ARH Scholars program from her mother. She saw a flyer for the program posted at Middlesboro ARH during one of her shifts and encouraged Sarah to apply.

“I felt really relieved and extremely excited when I found out I was an ARH Scholar. I think this program is a wonderful thing that allows students to stress less about the financial aspect of school and focus more on their future careers so they can be the best they can be on their career path.”

“The scholars are selected by the ARH Scholars Judging Committee,” says Danya Anderson, ARH Scholars Coordinator. “Once I receive the applications, I prepare them to be sent to the committee by making them a ‘blind’ application, which makes it fair for each applicant. The Scholars award is paid in two installments of $2,500 directly to the school.  One is payable after verification and the other is paid the following year. For this round, we had 73 applicants with 10 finalists awarded.”

Aside from her family’s extensive medical field background, Sarah’s passion for nursing was sparked after a deeply personal experience with an incredible team of nurses.

“I chose nursing for many reasons, but the main reason is because I saw how nurses at Middlesboro ARH helped my late grandmother through her battle with cancer,” she says. “They were really comforting and treated her with the utmost respect. It really showed me how much of an impact they can have on someone’s life. I want to be that for someone.”

Sarah is excited for the opportunity to make a lasting impact in Eastern Kentucky. After her graduation in 2021 she hopes to obtain a position as a registered nurse, possibly with ARH. She says she is open to furthering her education to become a Nurse Anesthetist and is excited to see where her career takes her.

The Fall 2018 class of Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) Scholars includes students from all over the region, in various stages of life with one common goal – to make a difference in healthcare throughout Appalachia. Twice a year, students from across the region are invited to apply for the ARH Scholars program. Recipients are awarded a $5,000 academic scholarship to pursue a degree in healthcare.

Connor Leisge grew up in Harlan County, Kentucky, and he’s setting himself up to give back to that same community. He’s currently enrolled in the College of Dentistry at the University of Kentucky (UK). Connor decided to pursue the medical field in high school after his positive experience with the nurses and doctors who cared for him during a long hospital visit.

“When I was a sophomore in high school, I had a major chest reconstructive surgery done,” Connor says. “I had a condition called pectus excavatum, a birth defect in your sternum which makes it curve inward like you’ve got a hole in your chest. I was very self-conscious about it, which is why it took me so long to seek treatment. While I was in the hospital, the nurses, the doctors, everybody was fantastic. As hard as the experience was physically, emotionally I was perfectly stable because the nurses and doctors were so great.”

Overall, Connor spent 33 days with the medical staff. While many might choose to focus on the obvious negatives of a lengthy hospital stay, post-major surgery, Connor was simply grateful for the caregivers and medical staff who encouraged him daily on his road to healing and recovery.

“That was pretty life changing,” Connor says. “It definitely sparked my interest in the medical field. I wanted to give back and help people’s lives like mine was helped.”

Pursuing higher education in healthcare has always been a goal of Connor’s and he’s thankful to ARH for helping him along this path. His biggest inspiration comes from his grandfather, who instilled in him the determination to pursue this goal.

“At a young age, my grandfather made the importance of education apparent for me and my cousins,” he says. “His story of barely getting through high school but then getting his degree in education and later becoming principal and superintendent in Pineville, Kentucky, was a big inspiration for me.”

This motivation to make higher learning a priority led Connor to dentistry, a field he described as the obvious career path to follow.

“One thing I cherished growing up was that I had very good hand skills,” Connor says. “I loved to draw, I loved artsy things. It just clicked in high school that I had good hand skills and it took good hand skills to be a dentist.”

Connor found out about the ARH Scholars program through his girlfriend, who is also an ARH Scholar. When he found out he won, Connor was delighted ARH valued his determination to give back to his hometown in Harlan through volunteerism and the dental services he hopes to one day provide.

“A lot of people in Harlan that I know can’t wait to get out of here and never come back,” he says. “I’m glad ARH noticed that I feel differently. I want to build it up to be something to be proud of.”

“The scholars are selected by the ARH Scholars Judging Committee,” says Danya Anderson, ARH Scholars Coordinator. “Once I receive the applications, I prepare them to be sent to the committee by making them a ‘blind’ application, which makes it fair for each applicant. The Scholars award is paid in two installments of $2,500 directly to the school.  One is payable after verification and the other is paid the following year. For this round, we had 73 applicants with 10 finalists awarded.”

So far on his route to becoming a dentist, Connor has volunteered with Mission Lexington, an organization dedicated to giving dental care to Lexington residents at or below the poverty line. He’s also worked with children as part of the dental program at UK, which is important to him, as he wants to act as an inspiration to the future generation of Harlan County.

“I want to point out to kids that just because they’re from somewhere like Harlan, becoming a dentist or a doctor isn’t unobtainable,” Connor says. “If they want to do that, they should go
for it.”

Connor eventually intends to open his own practice in Harlan County, with a mission for his practice to be a positive force in both the community and the medical field overall.

“I want to be able to build relationships with my patients and get rid of the negative stigma of going to the doctor,” he says. “I want to build people’s self-confidence up, to make them healthier physically but also mentally.”