LEXINGTON, Ky. – Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) recently named Dr. Bart Francis as its new Internal Medicine Residency Program Director.

Francis, a native of Pikeville, Ky., has worked as an ER physician and in various leadership roles for ARH for the past 25 years.

“Throughout his years with ARH, Dr. Francis has proven himself as a strong, dedicated leader,” said ARH Chief Medical Officer Dr. Maria Braman. “He is committed to the betterment of not only ARH, but to the communities we serve. We know he will do an exceptional job in helping shape the careers and lives of our new physicians.”

ARH’s Internal Medicine Residency Program began in 2019 at Harlan and Whitesburg but added Highlands ARH Regional Medical Center to the mix in 2024.

In his new position, Francis is tasked with monitoring the program’s compliance with national standards, as well as the supervision of the residents’ learning throughout their three years in the program.

He said helping prepare the next generation of physicians is something about which he is passionate.

“I have always enjoyed working with medical students and teaching residents,” he said. “As I segue into the second half of my career, I know this is something that will not only enhance my own well-being, but will also allow me to contribute, in a little bit of a different way, to the betterment of Appalachia.”

Francis received his undergraduate degree from Alice Lloyd College and his medical degree from the University of Kentucky.

Upon completion of his residency, also at the University of Kentucky, he began working in ER medicine and ER management at Hazard and other ARH facilities.

In addition to his full-time ER work, during his 25 years with ARH, Francis has also worked in internal medicine in both clinic and inpatient settings and spent five years as the chief physician for Hazard ARH’s acute rehab unit.

Prior to accepting his new position, he also served as a member of the ARH Board of Trustees.

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Francis said he was inspired to pursue a career in medicine by former Pikeville mayor and physician Dr. William Carter Hambley.

“My mother worked for him until he retired so I spent a lot of my summers and holidays in his office,” Francis said of the late physician, who, as mayor, oversaw the Pikeville Cut-Through project. “He not only wanted the best for his patients, but he was always involved in the betterment of the community.”

Hambley passed away in the mid-1990s, but Francis said the physician continues to be a driving force in his life today.

“I think the imprint of his identity and his service mentality is part of what guides me today,” he said.

That mentality, Francis said, is the reason his commitment to bettering the lives of those in his community extends far beyond any hospital walls. The lessons he learned more than three decades ago, he said, will play a significant role as he works with residents.

“Young physicians need to understand that it’s not just about the nuts and bolts of delivering medical care to the patients,” he said. “It’s a holistic approach. It’s caring for their families and community. It’s much bigger than just providing bedside care.

“Doctors have opportunities to participate in so many different things and to enhance their communities in so many different ways,” he continued. “Teaching that to residents is a big part of why I wanted to take this position.”

Francis said he has enjoyed traveling to each of the residency sites, getting to know the physicians and gaining knowledge as he goes.

And though he is new to the position, he said he has three primary goals for the program, which is designed to not only train physicians, but also to promote the importance and benefits of establishing their medical careers in Appalachia.

“My first goal is to enhance the program’s ability to better train our residents,” he said. “No. 2, is to grow the program by adding more resident slots with the goal of having more young doctors interested in serving the region when they’re finished.”

The third goal, he said, is perhaps unexpected, but just as important.

“I want everyone to have fun while they do it,” he said. “Taking care of patients is fun. It’s a lot of hard work, but it becomes so much more fun and enjoyable when you’re able to see a patient and their family through their medical care.

“Most people still look at doctors as someone to guide them and take care of them,” he continued. “Physicians should have an appreciation and understanding of that. It’s an enormous responsibility but it’s a wonderful experience.

“It’s very special to be a doctor.”