NEWS RELEASE – April 20, 2026
McDowell ARH Recognized for Fast Emergency Care
Lexington, KY – McDowell
ARH Hospital has been named one of the nation’s Best Hospitals for Emergency Timeliness by the Women’s Choice Award.
The recognition places McDowell ARH among the top hospitals in the country for providing fast, efficient emergency care while also delivering a positive experience for patients and families.
Emergency rooms are often where people go during some of the most stressful moments of their lives. Whether someone is experiencing chest pain, an injury or a sudden illness, quick care can make all the difference. The Women’s Choice Award recognizes hospitals that move patients through the emergency department quickly and provide compassionate care along the way.
The award is based on several measures reported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, including how long patients spend in the emergency room, how many patients leave before being seen, how quickly patients who need to be admitted are moved to a hospital room, and whether patients would recommend the hospital to others.
McDowell ARH was one of only 463 hospitals nationwide to receive the honor.
“We are honored to receive this recognition from the Women’s Choice Award,” said Danita Hampton. “At McDowell ARH, our team works every day to make sure patients receive care as quickly as possible while still being treated with compassion, dignity and respect. This award reflects the dedication of our emergency department team and their commitment to caring for our community.”
To learn more about the Women’s Choice Award Best Hospitals for Emergency Timeliness, visit the Women’s Choice Award website. https://womenschoiceaward.com/emergency-timeliness
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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.