Prestonsburg, KY — When Dr. Tiffany Thompson prays over her medical office, it’s not just a symbolic gesture; it’s a reflection of how deeply she believes her work as an obstetrician-gynecologist is part of a higher calling.

“I want this to be God’s will,” Thompson says of her new practice at Highlands Appalachian Regional Healthcare Medical Center. “I see this work as a calling, a way to serve and bring hope to my patients. That sense of purpose is very important to me.”

After nearly a decade as an attending physician, Thompson is bringing her unique blend of clinical excellence and spiritual devotion to ARH, where she sees each patient encounter as an opportunity to serve both her community and her faith.

Thompson’s commitment to service extends well beyond the hospital walls. Every Sunday, she and her husband Brian arrive at Connection Church in Pikeville around 6:30 a.m., not leaving until 2 p.m. after three services. Thompson plays keyboard while Brian plays acoustic guitar on the worship team.

“It’s such a blessing,” she explains. “The opportunity to help lead that opening so that everybody feels comfortable to sing and worship. It’s just so inviting.”

For Thompson, there’s a clear parallel between creating a welcoming atmosphere for worship and creating one for her patients. When she learned her office space was ready, Thompson’s first instinct was to bring her husband and pray over it together. “It was very important for us to make sure that this is being used as a vessel,” she says.

Thompson comes from a family deeply rooted in service to Eastern Kentucky. Her mother, Marcia Thompson, taught music for 43 years in the region. As the oldest of six children (five girls and one boy), Thompson has watched her siblings follow paths of service as well.

The family’s connection to ARH runs deep. Three of the Thompson daughters attended medical school: Tiffany in OB-GYN, Ashley in pulmonology and ICU medicine at Hazard ARH, and Alicia as an endocrinologist at the University of Kentucky. Sister Brittany teaches music in Houston, while twin Jessica works as an optometrist in Hazard. The youngest and only brother, Matthew, and his wife Maddison, are both serving as pharmacists at Hazard ARH.

“We have a strong legacy in ARH with the family,” Thompson says proudly.

After attending medical school in Pikeville and completing her residency in Toledo, Ohio, Thompson knew exactly where she belonged.

“I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else because so many of my family, my friends, they raised me. They worked so hard to pour into my training. Why would I not be back here?” she asks. “This is where I am here to serve. This is the mission.”

Thompson did her clinical rotations as a medical student at Hazard ARH. “I’ve been trained here. This is where I’m supposed to be, and I’ve prayed very hard, and this is what God is telling me to do. And since I am obedient with that, I feel like every door has just opened.”

What sets Thompson apart is her insistence on treating patients as individuals, not numbers. “It’s very important to me to individualize care. You are a patient, you are not a number,” she emphasizes. “I want to make sure that as we go through and we use evidence-based medicine, we still want to make a plan of care that you are comfortable with.”

She’s passionate about truly listening to her patients. “I’m never going to force anything on anyone, but I want you to know what your options are. I want you to be better. My goal is to make sure that my patient is better.”

Thompson promises to be approachable and to respect the intimate nature of her specialty. “I should be the least intimidating person in this building. I should be approachable so that you can come with those concerns, and I’m going to be respectful because this is a very intimate specialty where privacy is of the utmost concern.”

While Thompson loves delivering babies, her practice encompasses the full spectrum of women’s health, from adolescent care through menopause. She’s particularly passionate about menopausal care and preventive medicine.

“I feel like there’s a trend that there are more cancers diagnosed in this region,” she notes. “If we can get good preventative care in place, we can catch those things before they become cancer or catch them in the early stages and improve survival.”

She encourages women to prioritize their own health. “You can’t pour from an empty cup,” she reminds them. “You’ve got to take care of yourself.”

For Thompson, the greatest reward comes from watching the children she’s delivered grow up in the community. “I have kids that I delivered that they’re now in elementary school, and I get to see them on the ball court, cheerleading. I’m building the legacy.”

Recently, a parent approached her with news that brought her to tears: the child she’d helped deliver was getting baptized. “You talk about the waterworks. That’s what it’s about. That’s what mission feels like.”

As Thompson settles into her new practice at ARH, she carries with her the same faith that guides her worship on Sunday mornings: a belief that medicine is ministry, that healing is holy work, and that serving her community is answering a divine call.

“God has blessed me with an opportunity to serve my community,” she reflects. “And it is a blessing.”

*Dr. Tiffany Thompson is now accepting patients at Appalachian Regional Healthcare. For appointments, patients can contact her office at the ARH facility.*