November 07, 2023 – Joey Griffie and Tylan Collins are high school sweethearts who early on realized they wanted to pursue careers in healthcare. They share a passion for giving back to their community and knew that working close to home at ARH would be the best way to fulfill that mission. They have also taken advantage of the scholarships that ARH provides to the area in their pursuit of investing back into the future workforce in Appalachia.

Griffie received the Hazard Community Technical College Scholarship sponsored by ARH as well as a stipend as he worked toward his nursing degree. Collins received the ARH Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS) Scholarship while she has attended the University of Kentucky satellite campus in Hazard.

Griffie and Collins say, “We have been interested in working for ARH because we want to give back to the community that gave so much to us. Being able to serve our neighbors is a blessing and privilege we do not take for granted.”

Griffie and Collins have both been working toward a healthcare career since high school, where they met in a biomedical science dual-credit program through Project Lead the Way at Perry County High School. Griffie recently graduated with his Associate in Nursing and is furthering his education to obtain a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing. He is currently employed at Hazard ARH as an ICU RN. Collins will graduate in December as a medical laboratory scientist and will be working in an ARH facility as well.

“For both of us, receiving the scholarship allowed us to graduate debt-free from our programs. This was extremely helpful as it allowed us to spend less money on school so that we could save money for the purchase of our first home together and invest in our future back in Appalachia,” says the couple.

ARH provides many opportunities and assistance for the community to pursue a career in healthcare and keep their passions and lives close to the home they love. For more information on ARH scholarship and opportunities, please contact Saundra Campbell at 606-438-8438 or by email scampbell11@arh.org.