ARH Welcomes Dr. Jacob Jones

NEWS RELEASE - August 11, 2026

ARH Welcomes Dr. Jacob Jones

Middlesboro, KY - Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) is pleased to announce that Dr. Jacob Jones, a family medicine physician, has joined the staff at Cumberland Valley Medical and Surgical Associates in Middlesboro. And for Dr. Jones, this is a homecoming.

Dr. Jones completed his undergraduate program and medical school at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky. He finished a three-year family medicine residency at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Dr. Jones is board certified in family medicine and gained additional experience in sports medicine and hospital care during his training with Marshall, a program known for strong preparation in inpatient settings.

When asked what led him to family medicine, Dr. Jones answered, "What drew me to it is actually the versatility to treat a broad range of disease without referring to a subspecialist that might not be readily available in Middlesboro."

Dr. Jones grew up in Middlesboro and is the son of two longtime ARH employees. J. J. Jones, Dr. Jones' mother, is the Cumberland Valley Regional Clinic Administrator and has worked for ARH for 21 years. Elton "Squeak" Jones, his dad, started his career at Middlesboro ARH Hospital almost a decade ago and now serves as Regional Facility Director.

When it comes to being back in Middlesboro, Dr. Jones said, "Middlesboro to me is home. It's not just that I wanted to come back; it's that I never really wanted to leave, but I knew that it was important for me to do so to get the level of training I needed to achieve my goals." Jones feels a sense of responsibility to the community and said, "I wouldn't be where I am today if it weren't for the community that raised me, and I feel like I owe it to them to give back and do my part."

Having trained in Lexington and practiced in Huntington, Jones noted a contrast between larger cities and the region he now serves. "One thing this area has going for it is the ability of a physician to really integrate and build trust and relationships with a community that wouldn't be possible in a larger city."

Dr. Jones wants patients to feel at ease before their first appointment. He said, "I'm just one of you. I forget to take my medicine, overeat, and stay up past my bedtime." Jones says, "We're all trying to be the best version of ourselves, and I'm gonna meet you where you're at."

When he's not seeing patients, Dr. Jones considers himself a homebody who enjoys reading and watching television and film. He shares his home with a dog named Luna, and his girlfriend Emily, a speech pathologist in Columbus, Ohio, hopes to relocate to the area soon. On weekends, he can often be found cheering on his friend Jordan Lee King, a Kentucky-based musician, and supporting other regional artists.

Dr. Jones is welcoming patients of all ages, fulfilling his commitment to the community that first gave him his start.

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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.