NEWS RELEASE – June 5, 2026
Amy Cason named CNO of Beckley ARH Hospital
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Beckley ARH Hospital recently welcomed Amy Cason, MSN, MBA, BSN, RN, as its new Chief Nursing Officer.
“We’re very excited to welcome Amy to our team,” said Beckley ARH CEO Todd Howell. “Amy is a seasoned leader with more than 35 years of experience. Beyond her impressive resume, and of equal importance, she is a compassionate caregiver. That experience and level of commitment to patient care make her the perfect fit for Beckley ARH Hospital.”
Cason most recently spent 10 years as CNO at HCA Tristar Stonecrest Medical Center in Murfreesboro, Tenn.
The Sarasota, Fla., native received her associate’s in nursing from Darton College, her bachelor’s in nursing from Regis University, and a Master of Science of Nursing/Master of Business Administration degree from Thomas University.
Cason said her interest in nursing stemmed from a personal experience when she was in elementary school.
“When I was 10 and she was 18, my oldest sister had a car accident and almost died,” she recalled. “She was in a coma for a very long time, and I remember going to the hospital and sitting while my mom and dad visited. Watching the nurses take care of her made a very big impact me and I knew I really wanted to help people.”
Over the past 36 years, Cason has worked as both ER nurse and ER nurse manager, as a case manager, a director of care management, as a VP of nursing services, as a CNO as well as a dual role as CEO/CNO.
“I’ve done a lot,” she said. “And that was always the plan. I’ve always wanted to try every position, even filling in for a secretary when she was on lunch. I’ve just always thought it was really important to be able to say that I understand the job because I’ve done the job.”
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Though Cason was not familiar with southern West Virginia before joining ARH, she said the decision to take on her new position was not difficult.
“First of all, the area is just beautiful, but when I got here for my interview, I met the people and kind of fell in love,” she said. “When I sat down with Todd (Howell) and Joey (COO Joey Preast) and the rest of the team for lunch, I could feel the camaraderie, which is always what I’m looking for in a work environment.
“Also, the mission of ARH and the way the hospital, because it’s a not-for profit, is just so invested in and does so much for the community, I wanted to be part of it.”
Cason said she is excited for her new role as she gets to know both the hospital staff and the new community she calls home.
“A good day for me is making connections and building personal relationships,” she said. “I just want to be the voice for nursing and make a positive difference.
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Cason and her husband Joe are the parents of two daughters, Samantha and Kate, one son, Bradley, and the grandparents of four.
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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.