Paige Franklin named ARH Vice President of External Affairs

NEWS RELEASE - August 24, 2026

Paige Franklin named ARH Vice President of External Affairs

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Appalachian Regional Healthcare is pleased to announce the selection of Paige Franklin as Vice President of External Affairs.

Franklin joins ARH following a stint as Vice President of Growth for Nest Health, a healthcare startup designed to provide in-home integrated care to Medicaid families.

ARH Chief of Staff Rocky Massey said Franklin's experience in Medicaid-managed care, government relations and healthcare policy make her the perfect fit for the position.

"Paige's understanding of the healthcare landscape and the complex needs of Medicaid populations will be invaluable as ARH navigates a rapidly changing policy environment and continues advocating for the communities we serve," he said. "I'm thrilled to welcome her to our team and look forward to the leadership and perspective she will bring to ARH."

Franklin, a native of Madisonville, Ky., received both her undergraduate degree as well as a law degree from the University of Kentucky.

She began her healthcare career as corporate counsel for compliance and government affairs for Kentucky Employer's Mutual Insurance. From there, she spent nearly a decade with Aetna Better Health of Kentucky, serving in a variety of positions including plan compliance officer, chief of staff, COO and CEO.

She said it was during her time with Nest Health, where she was tasked with growing contracts across the country, that she realized her true calling was to serve the residents of central Appalachia.

"So, when I saw this opportunity at ARH and learned more about the mission-driven focus of the organization, I realized this would be the perfect opportunity for me to help deliver healthcare, right here, to the people I care for so deeply," she said.

As Vice President of External Affairs, Franklin serves as ARH's liaison to both state and federal government, as well as to community stakeholders and industry partners.

"I'm excited to work alongside Rocky and other system leaders to ensure ARH's interest is being fairly and appropriately represented at every table at which ARH has a stake," she said. "ARH has a very clear vision for how to deliver the highest level of healthcare and I'm looking forward to using my experience, my skills and my passion to help advance those goals and to assist in helping ARH drive those goals forward."

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Franklin is married with two stepchildren. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her senior dog, Trapper, needlepoint, studying WWII history and going to the gym with friends.

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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.