NEWS RELEASE – March 24, 2026
ARH Foundation for Healthier Communities Awards $5,000 to Morgan County EMS
WEST LIBERTY, KY – The ARH Foundation for Healthier Communities has awarded a $5,000 community grant to Morgan County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Training & Education Institute, a division of Morgan County EMS, to strengthen emergency medical workforce development in Eastern Kentucky.
Based in West Liberty, the Training & Education Institute was established to address the growing shortage of qualified EMS providers across the region. By expanding access to training, delivering evidence-based instruction, and improving clinical competency through simulation, the institute plays a critical role in preparing the next generation of emergency medical professionals who serve Morgan County and surrounding communities.
The grant will support the purchase of a high-fidelity training manikin designed to enhance hands-on clinical simulation. Current training equipment limits the ability to conduct modern, scenario-based instruction in airway management, cardiac response, trauma care, and pediatric emergencies. The new manikin will allow students to practice complex, real-world emergency scenarios in a controlled environment, strengthening both skill development and confidence before entering the field.
“Access to highly trained emergency responders is fundamental to community health and safety,” said Whittney Allen, Director of Foundation Marketing and Communications for the ARH Foundation for Healthier Communities. “By investing in advanced clinical simulation, we are strengthening the skills and preparedness of the providers who are often the first point of care in a medical emergency. That directly supports safer outcomes for patients across our region.”
The equipment will benefit approximately 150 to 200 individuals annually, including EMT and AEMT students, EMS personnel, local fire departments, and hospital partners such as Morgan County ARH Hospital. The manikin will be integrated into all future Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT), and continuing education courses.
“When EMS providers have access to strong training, it makes a difference for our patients,” said Allie Archer, CEO of Morgan County ARH. “This equipment gives students the chance to practice critical skills before they ever respond to a real call. That preparation protects our community and strengthens the entire continuum of care.”
The ARH Foundation for Healthier Communities Community Grant Program provides up to $5,000 to nonprofit organizations and public agencies working to improve health, education, and community well-being across Appalachian Regional Healthcare’s service region. To learn more or to support initiatives like this, visit www.ARH.org/donate.
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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.