NEWS RELEASE – July 7, 2026
ARH Our Lady of the Way Hospital Celebrates 70 Years of Service
Martin, KY – ARH Our Lady of the Way Hospital recently celebrated its 70th anniversary with a special ceremony honoring the hospital’s history, its continued commitment to the region, and the dedicated employees who have helped shape its legacy.
For seven decades, ARH Our Lady of the Way Hospital has served patients and families throughout Floyd County and surrounding communities by providing compassionate, accessible care close to home. Originally established in 1947 by the Sisters of Divine Providence of Kentucky, Our Lady of the Way has been part of the Appalachian Regional Healthcare system since 2017. The anniversary ceremony reflected on the hospital’s long-standing role in the community while also recognizing the people who have carried that mission forward.
“Serving this area for 70 years is special and means a lot to the community,” said Danita Hampton, CEO of ARH Our Lady of the Way Hospital. “It’s not the building itself that has taken care of this community, but the seven generations of people that are committed to care.”
During the ceremony, several employees were recognized for their years of service and dedication to ARH Our Lady of the Way Hospital. Those honored included:
Darrell Bentley, 29.6 years
Dana Jones, 29.68 years
Sandra Thacker, 30.62 years
Judy Salyer, 31.11 years
Sherry Slone, 31.22 years
Carla Hayes, 31.29 years
Larry Robinson, 33.45 years
Vickie Rose, 34.33 years
Tammy Sheppard, 37.56 years
Barbara Hancock, 44.91 years
Their combined service represents decades of commitment to patients, coworkers, and the community. From longtime employees to current caregivers, the hospital’s anniversary highlighted the generations of people who have made ARH Our Lady of the Way a trusted place for care.
ARH Our Lady of the Way Hospital continues to provide essential healthcare services to the region, including emergency care, rehabilitation, mammography, sleep studies, swing-bed care, community clinics, and pharmacy services.
As the hospital looks toward the future, its mission remains rooted in the same purpose that has guided it for 70 years: caring for the community with compassion, dedication, and excellence.
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About Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH)
Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) traces its roots back to 1955, when the United Mine Workers of America opened the Miners Memorial Hospital system – a network of 10 hospitals dedicated to providing care throughout the coalfields of eastern Kentucky and southern West Virginia. Seventy years later, ARH has grown into a 14-hospital not-for-profit health system that serves more than 500,000 residents of central Appalachia each year. ARH hospitals in Barbourville, Harlan, Hazard, Hyden, Martin, McDowell, Middlesboro, Paintsville, Prestonsburg, West Liberty, Whitesburg, and South Williamson in Kentucky, and Beckley and Hinton in West Virginia, ensure that residents, tucked away in even the most remote areas, can access the highest quality of care without traveling hours from home. ARH’s hospitals, clinics, multi-specialty physician practices, home health agencies, home medical equipment stores, retail pharmacies, and medical spas boast more than 6,700 employees with a network of more than 1,300 providers, making it the single largest employer in southeastern Kentucky and the third-largest private employer in southern West Virginia.