NEWS RELEASE – February 16, 2026
ARH Diabetes Connection meetings set for Martin County expansion
INEZ, KY – Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) is bringing its monthly Diabetes Connection meetings to a new location in Inez, Ky., making it easier for Martin County residents to access diabetes education and support.
Beginning Feb. 26, meetings will be held at the Martin County Health Department. The meetings take place the last Thursday of each month at 10:00 a.m., with both in-person and virtual attendance options available.
The first meeting will focus on Nutrition, including a live demonstration. Those unable to attend in person can join virtually at https://arh-org.zoom.us/my/arhdiabetessupport.
Diabetes Connection is a community-based program that empowers people living with diabetes through education, support, and outreach. ARH provides practical tools, trusted resources, and meaningful connections to help participants better manage their health and improve quality of life.
“Bringing Diabetes Connection to the Martin County Health Department allows us to meet people where they are and build on the support already rooted in this community,” said Ashley Webb, ARH Systems Diabetes Education Coordinator. “This new location expands access to diabetes education, helps remove barriers, and creates a welcoming space where education, connection, and encouragement can truly make a difference.”
The partnership reflects a shared commitment to improving community health.
“Our health department is focused on helping people get healthy and stay healthy,” said Deanna Muncy, Assistant Public Health Director for the Martin County Health Department. “Diabetes affects many families in our community, and we see the challenges it brings every day. This program gives people real support and simple tools to better manage and prevent diabetes. Together with our existing diabetes prevention and self-management programs, we are strengthening our commitment to making Martin County healthy again.”
For more information, call 606.789.3511 or email diabetesarh1@arh.org.
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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.