ARH Adult Healthcare Scrub Camp Connects Adults with Healthcare Career Opportunities

NEWS RELEASE - August 31, 2026

ARH Adult Healthcare Scrub Camp Connects Adults with Healthcare Career Opportunities

MIDDLESBORO, Ky. - Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) Workforce Development, Middlesboro ARH, Goodwill Industries of Kentucky and Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College (SKCTC) recently celebrated the successful completion of the inaugural ARH Adult Healthcare Scrub Camp, a four-day workforce development program designed to introduce adults to careers in healthcare.

Through the collaborative effort, participants received firsthand exposure to healthcare careers while connecting with education, training, and employment resources that can help them take the next step toward a new career.

The inaugural camp welcomed five graduates of Goodwill Industries of Kentucky's RISE program who were interested in starting or transitioning into healthcare careers.

Throughout the experience, participants completed career assessments, earned CPR certification, toured healthcare and educational facilities, participated in job-shadowing opportunities, and connected directly with healthcare professionals. They also explored healthcare training programs available through SKCTC and received guidance on navigating college admissions and employment application processes.

The program also produced immediate results. By the conclusion of the camp, all five participants had applied for entry-level positions within the ARH system, while three took steps toward continuing their education at Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College.

"Adult Scrub Camp is more than an introduction to healthcare - it is a doorway to opportunity," said Tesa Turner, ARH System Manager of Workforce Development. "This experience provides hands-on exposure to healthcare career pathways, builds confidence and allows participants to see possibilities they may never have considered.

"By creating innovative, accessible ways to connect people with education, training and employers, we are not simply preparing individuals for jobs. We are advancing our workforce, strengthening our communities and helping people build a pathway to a brighter future."

Sherri Clark, Dean of Workforce Solutions at Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College, said the partnership gives participants the opportunity to see firsthand what a future in healthcare could look like.

"SKCTC is excited to partner with ARH and Goodwill Industries of Kentucky to introduce participants in the Goodwill RISE program to our allied health programs while providing hands-on CPR training," Clark said. "We were able to give individuals an opportunity to experience healthcare education, build confidence and see themselves in a rewarding career they may not have previously considered.

"Partnerships like this allow us to meet individuals where they are, remove barriers and create a clear pathway from workforce readiness to education, credential attainment and, ultimately, employment. Most importantly, this collaboration demonstrates what can happen when education, workforce organizations and healthcare employers work together to strengthen both individuals and the communities we serve."

Hannah Said, Manager of Strategic Partnerships with Goodwill Industries of Kentucky, said one of the most rewarding aspects of the camp was seeing participants recognize the opportunities available to them.

"One of the most powerful parts of the ARH Adult Scrub Camp was watching participants discover, in real time, that their dreams were within reach," Said said. "They walked in on day one curious but uncertain and left with direction, confidence and a renewed belief in themselves.

"Seeing five Goodwill clients complete the program, three take steps toward college and all five apply for positions with ARH was more than a success story. It was a life-changing experience that created new opportunities for them and their families."

The ARH Adult Healthcare Scrub Camp reflects a shared commitment among ARH, Goodwill Industries of Kentucky and Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College to strengthen the region's workforce while creating accessible pathways to healthcare careers throughout Appalachia.

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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.