PMC was, once again, a presenting sponsor at this year’s annual Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR) Summit held at the Appalachian Wireless Arena Sept. 5 and 6. Twenty grants were announced by Governor Matt Bevin and Congressman Hal Rogers, totaling $34.4 million. These investments are intended to bolster job growth and economic development in the eastern Kentucky region.
PMC was the recipient of the largest, an AML grant, in the amount of $4.78 million to be used to construct the new Children’s Hospital and pediatric clinic. Upon completion, the new Children’s Hospital will create approximately 200 new jobs at PMC.
The remaining grants have been awarded to organizations across 14 counties and will aid in job growth for the healthcare, tourism and technology industries.
“On behalf of Pikeville Medical Center, the Board of Directors, physicians and staff, I want to thank Governor Matt Bevin and Congressman Hal Rogers for supporting our application for the AML grant to build a hospital to serve our children,” said Vice President of the Board of Directors and CEO Donovan Blackburn.
The $4.78 million dollars will help PMC to establish a children’s hospital that will begin to fill a gap in the region’s health care network and provide advanced pediatric care to the deserving children of the eastern Kentucky region.
“It will be eastern Kentucky’s first and only dedicated children’s hospital,” said Congressman Rogers. “It will provide medical services for more than 100 thousand children in our region, allowing families to stay close to home for difficult treatments and long-term medical care.”
“This investment in eastern Kentucky will help us reach out beyond the walls of the hospital to broaden the scope and deepen the value of what we can provide to the region’s youth,” added Blackburn. “With the support of Governor Bevin and others who are willing to invest in improving eastern Kentucky and growing our economy, we will continue to see our hospital grow and our patients receive the health care they deserve.”
The SOAR Summit is a showcase of organizations in eastern Kentucky who are leveraging connectivity to transform Appalachia by implementing effective strategies for job growth and innovation.
“Pikeville Medical Center is a proud sponsor of the SOAR Summit and we are so thrilled to see this many people from eastern Kentucky coming together to further the economic growth in healthcare and technology,” said PMC Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Kansas Justice.
PMC is committed to expanding pediatric services to better serve the children of eastern Kentucky.
