Susan Stewart Named Vice President of Post Acute Services

NEWS RELEASE - October 30, 2026

Susan Stewart Named Vice President of Post Acute Services

Paintsville, KY - Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) announces that Susan Stewart is the new Vice President of Post Acute Services. Susan has been part of the ARH family for more than 25 years and will now lead Home Health, Home Medical Equipment, and Rehabilitative Services for the entire health system.

Stewart started at ARH in May 1998 as a home services associate. Over the years, she worked in revenue cycle for Home Services, served as assistant administrator of Home Services, and became CEO of Home Services. She has a Bachelor of Science from Georgetown College and a Master of Science in Health Care Administration from Union College.

Her mom, Cecelia Stewart, once asked her a big question. "You need to decide if you want a job or a career. Those two sound similar, but they are distinctly different," Stewart said. "ARH has truly provided me a career that enabled me to stay in eastern Kentucky and raise my daughter."

Post acute care involves a range of services that supports patients in their recovery after a hospital stay. It bridges the gap between the hospital and home, offering a transition phase that ensures patients are not only physically recovering but also gaining the skills and confidence to return to their daily lives.

Stewart says many people confuse Home Health and home medical equipment. Susan explains the difference this way: "Home Health is care provided in the home by a nurse, a physical or occupational therapist, an aide, or a social worker. Home medical equipment is equipment such as oxygen, beds, wheelchairs, CPAP and BiPAP machines, and supplies."

Stewart believes no one can do this work alone. She plans to grow ARH's strong bond with skilled nursing partners in each region. "As healthcare providers, we have to all work together," she said.

Stewart puts people first. She believes that data matters, but "That is not the whole story. "We must look beyond and get to know people in order to help them reach their highest potential," she said.

Her team has shown what it can do. During the 2022 flood, ARH workers cared for patients and helped their communities. "The entire ARH workforce showed true resilience with patient care and community support," Stewart said. She also remembers when a physical therapist assistant administered CPR and saved a life inside a patient's home.

That commitment is what makes the work so meaningful to Stewart. "Home Services is just special," she said. "You don't know how much we are needed until you or your family member has received home care."

Stewart believes a successful transition home begins long before a patient leaves the hospital. "The key to a smooth transition is planning for discharge at admission, ensuring right placement, not just placement," she said.

Families also play an essential role. They need to understand the patient's discharge instructions, obtain prescribed medications, and attend follow-up appointments. When patients cannot manage those responsibilities alone, post-acute care can provide the support they need.

"Susan knows this work from the ground up, because she has served in several roles on the team," said Roy Milwee, ARH Chief Ambulatory Officer. "She listens first, she lifts others up, and she always puts people first. We are lucky to have her."

As more health care moves beyond hospital walls, Stewart wants ARH to remain a "premier destination of quality care" wherever patients receive services.

Her advice for anyone new to the field is simple and wise. "Health care is hard, but very rewarding. Ask questions, never stop learning, and listen to understand, not just to reply."

Beyond work, Stewart draws strength from faith, family, and fun.

On the hard days, Susan leans on her faith. "God promises to be with us during the storms," she said.

Family is another source of joy. Her daughter, Taylor Baker, is an adult. Stewart says, "She is the light in my eye."

And when it is time to recharge, Stewart can often be found cheering on the Hazard Bulldogs and the UK Wildcats.

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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.