BECKLEY, W.Va. – Appalachian Regional Healthcare has been awarded a $500,000 grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission’s (ARC) ARISE Initiative.

The funding is part of a larger $33.5 million package announced by ARC Federal Co-Chair Gayle Manchin.

“It is a great honor and privilege and an exciting time for me to be able to announce today the largest ARISE multi-state funding package ever,” said Manchin, who announced the awards during a two-day grant writing training at Tamarack in Beckley.

According to ARC’s website, ARISE (Appalachian Regional Initiative for Stronger Economies) was established to drive large-scale, regional economic transformation through collaborative projects.

ARH will use ARISE funding to establish a Healthier Central Appalachia Task Force (HCAT) in collaboration with 15 partners in Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.

HCAT, which will operate in 29 counties across those four states, aims to address social determinants of healthcare, evaluate a mobile healthcare deployment pilot program, and outline mechanisms for improving workforce engagement.

Danielle Harmon, ARH Community Development Director, said she is both excited and grateful to ARC for supporting ARH’s efforts.

“We are committed to bringing preventative medicine beyond the doors of our hospitals,” Harmon said. “The ARISE grant will allow ARH to really show up for our communities and our partners in need.”

In addition to the $500,000 grant, ARH has committed $125,000 in matching funds.

Partners in the Healthier Central Appalachia Task Force include the Southeast Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, Beckley Raleigh County Chamber of Commerce, Claiborne County, Tennessee Local Government, Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR), The Center for Rural Health Development in Hurricane, W.Va., Active Southern West Virginia, Communities of Hope: Fruits of Labor Farm, Hazard Community and Technical College, Big Sandy Community and Technical College, New River Community and Technical College, Mountain Empire Community College, the University of Pikeville, Lincoln Memorial University, and The Healthy Appalachia Institute.

To learn more about ARISE, visit www.arc.gov/ARISE.

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Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH), is a not-for-profit health system operating 14 hospitals in Barbourville, Hazard, Harlan, Hyden, Martin, McDowell, Middlesboro, Paintsville, Prestonsburg, West Liberty, Whitesburg, and South Williamson in Kentucky and Beckley and Hinton in West Virginia, as well as multi-specialty physician practices, home health agencies, home medical equipment stores and retail pharmacies and medical spas. ARH employs approximately 6,400 people with an annual payroll and benefits of $474 million generated into our local economies. ARH also has a network of more than 1,300 providers on staff across its multi-state system. ARH is the largest provider of care and the single largest employer in southeastern Kentucky, and the third-largest private employer in southern West Virginia