NEWS RELEASE – August 25, 2025
Jamie Easterling named
CEO of Whitesburg ARH Hospital
WHITESBURG, Ky. – Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) is pleased to introduce Jamie Easterling as the new CEO of Whitesburg ARH Hospital.
Easterling, a native of West Liberty, Ky., transitions into the new position after most recently serving as Whitesburg’s COO.
ARH Regional CEO Rich Roehr said he believes Easterling is the perfect person to help guide the hospital into the future.
“Jamie has an extensive background in healthcare leadership that is complemented by his Kentucky roots,” he said. “He was the natural fit for the role of CEO, and we are confident in his ability to lead Whitesburg ARH Hospital.”
Easterling, who received both his undergraduate degree and MBA from Morehead State University, has worked in healthcare for more than 30 years.
He began his career as a radiologic technologist before moving into leadership with TriHealth in Cincinnati. During his 24 years with the health system, Easterling’s positions included systems administrator of imaging as well as president and COO of both Good Samaritan Hospital and Bethesda North Hospital.
Following his time with TriHealth, he became a partner and Chief Commercial Officer of Project MedTech, a medical device consulting firm.
He said the desire to return to hospital work, coupled with a need to move closer to his parents in West Liberty, is what led him to Whitesburg.
“I had watched ARH from afar for quite some time and I saw how its work impacted rural healthcare,” he said. “That was something I wanted to do. So, it made perfect sense that the next chapter would be to come back home and serve the people of eastern Kentucky and Appalachia.”
Easterling said he is both excited and honored by the opportunity to serve as CEO of Whitesburg ARH.
“It’s not just a job, but also a privilege to walk these halls and work with this team to help ensure that we’re all on the same page, driving forward in the right direction, serving those who are in need of our help,” he said. “So, I’m just hoping to make it a better place and assist the community in every way I can.
“I’m here to serve.”
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Easterling is the father of three adult children Logan, Chase and Jenna.
He and his wife Ashley, a surgical nurse practitioner, are also the parents of two golden retrievers, Jax and Billie.
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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 6,700 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.