ARH Expands Diabetes Care Team with New Educator

NEWS RELEASE - August 5, 2026

ARH Expands Diabetes Care Team with New Educator

Paintsville, KY - Tiffany Dixon, RN, LDE, has worn many hats at ARH. She started as a receptionist. Then she became a medical assistant. Now she is a Registered Nurse and a Licensed Diabetes Educator. Her path was not always simple, but every step shaped who she is today.

Dixon did not always know that diabetes education was even a career. That changed once she became a nurse and began working in Endocrinology.

"That's where I discovered the true world of diabetes and its complexity," she said.

Her passion for diabetes education is deeply personal. Her aunt, who helped raise her, passed away from complications of type 2 diabetes while Dixon was still in nursing school.

"Losing her was extremely hard for me because she was a mother to me," she said. "I wish I had known more about diabetes and how to help care for her."

That loss, combined with her growing knowledge of endocrinology, set her on a new course.

"I knew Diabetes Education was my calling," she said. "I want to help individuals and their families understand the disease, help develop skills needed to manage it, and feel supported throughout their journey."

Becoming a nurse was not easy. Dixon worked full time as a medical assistant while taking night classes to earn her nursing degree. She was also raising two young children at the time.

"I somehow never missed a game" of her son's, she said, even while balancing school, work, and family.

Her journey included real hardship. She lost her aunt and later went into preterm labor at 24 weeks while finishing school. She kept going anyway.

"I was not going to quit," she said.

She graduated from nursing school in June and welcomed her daughter that October, just before her thirtieth birthday.

"I give complete credit to God for everything," she said. "He carried me through it."

Dixon believes every patient deserves to feel welcomed and valued the moment they walk through the door.

"Every person is different, but everyone deserves compassion," she said.

She often finds that patients think they already understand their diabetes, only to be surprised by how much they learn in a single visit.

"They are shocked by all the new information they learned from just one session," she said.

For patients who are newly diagnosed and those who have lived with diabetes for years, her approach is the same at its core: listen first.

"I want to recognize what knowledge and experience they already have, identify their current needs, and work with them to develop new solutions," she explained.

One of the biggest struggles she sees is something called "diabetes burnout", when the daily demands of monitoring blood sugar, taking medication, and making food choices simply wear a person down.

"The goal is to help reduce burnout by renewing their sense of hope," she said, "and building confidence by recognizing progress."

Dixon's main office is in Paintsville, but her work takes her across the region. She sees patients in both Paintsville and Hazard, in person and virtually. She also helps lead 11 different Diabetes Support Groups held once a month, including a brand new group in Magoffin County that she leads herself.

Community events are one of her favorite parts of the job.

"I get to go out and meet new people and learn the barriers people face in other communities," she said, "and see how we can help overcome these barriers."

Dixon hopes providers will lean on diabetes educators more often.

"Providers don't always have enough time during their appointments to address every concern," she said. "When providers and diabetes educators work together, patients receive more supportive, compassionate care."

"I've had the opportunity to see Tiffany's heart for serving others, and I know she'll make a tremendous impact on the lives of our patients," said ARH System Diabetes Education Coordinator Ashley Webb. "She understands that diabetes education is about much more than numbers. It's about empowering people with the knowledge, confidence, and support they need to live healthier lives. We're thrilled to have her join our team."

Webb commented that, "Every new team member allows us to extend our reach, strengthen our programs, and ensure more people have access to the education and support they deserve."

Outside of work, Dixon relies on her husband Adam, a police officer in Prestonsburg, and their children, Connor, Addisyn, Cali, and stepson Joshua. The family also shares their home with a cat named Loki and a dog named Ares.

"I wanted to be someone my kids would be proud of," she said. "Everything I do and have done is for them."

For anyone considering a similar path, Dixon has simple advice: find a mentor, ask questions, and never let self-doubt win.

"Don't ever think you can't do something you are passionate about," she said. "I never thought I would be anything more than a single mom at 19. I never thought college was an option for me until I took a leap of faith and gave it everything I had, every tear, every late night. It wasn't easy, but I was worth it."

Today, Dixon continues that same leap of faith every day, one patient, one family, and one community at a time.

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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.