LEXINGTON, Ky. — Appalachian Regional Healthcare has appointed James Hensley to serve as Vice President of Quality and Clinical Excellence, a position he has held on an interim basis since December.

Hensley, who first worked as a medical laboratory scientist, began his ARH career with Hazard ARH Regional Medical Center in 2017 as the Infection Control Coordinator, later becoming the Director of Process and Performance. He moved into a system-level role as the Director of Infection Prevention in 2020, and most recently served as the ARH Assistant Vice President of Infection Prevention.

In his new role, Hensley is tasked with managing risk, controlling infection, and ensuring safe, quality care is delivered to every patient in the ARH system.

“I’m excited for this opportunity and I’m inspired by ARH’s commitment to supporting quality improvement efforts,” he said. “It’s support that hasn’t just been expressed, but also demonstrated, and it’s given me the inspiration to dive into and drive the system to make significant change.”

Hensley, a native of Williamsburg, Ky., said the position requires the “evidence-based, data-driven delivery of all services across the continuum of care with the goal of improving patient outcomes.”

His patient-centered, proactive approach, he said, requires the cooperation of every employee, from corporate to unit-level management to frontline workers.

“We can build systems and write policies, but the information that is most helpful and the greatest ideas we get come from the frontline staff,” he said. “They’re the people who are out there every day doing the work, so along with strategies to actively communicate with frontline staff, I also encourage them to reach out to me or anyone on my team at any time. We have to work together improve.”

Hensley, who holds degrees in clinical laboratory science and biology from Eastern Kentucky University and an MBA in Healthcare Administration from Western Governors University, uses his affinity for numbers and data to assist with improving quality and patient safety.

But his efforts are driven by personal experience as well, as he works to ensure families avoid unnecessary loss.

“When I was a child, I had a family member who passed away from an HAI (healthcare-associated infection) in a hospital setting,” he said. “So, preventable harm has always been near and dear to my heart. It’s important that I have an opportunity to help improve the safety and quality of care and to make a difference.”

ARH Division Presidents Jeremy Hall and Rich Roehr said Hensley’s commitment, experience, and proven leadership make him the ideal person for his new position.

“James brings extensive knowledge, skills, and a collaborative approach that we are confident will drive world-class care to the patients we serve,” said Hall. “With his leadership, we have seen significant improvements in our infection prevention program.”

Roehr added, “While in the interim role, James successfully met the expectations for what we need in the person chosen to lead this essential department. We are confident that given his team approach, this department will continue to grow and flourish, contributing to our larger mission in providing the highest level of care to each and every patient.”

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Hensley and his wife Jessica, a psychiatric mental health practitioner, are the parents of 10-year-old Eli and 2-year-old Ella.

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