Author: Shaun Burnette

The Harlan Senior Center will be closed and suspending all services until Tuesday, September 7th.
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August 30, 2021

Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) announced today the appointment of Roy Milwee to the position of ARH Vice President of Ambulatory Services, where he will provide leadership for the health system’s wide range of outpatient services across eastern Kentucky and southern West Virginia.

Milwee has been a leader in ambulatory services for ARH since June 2016, first as a system administrator responsible for leading 80-plus clinic operations throughout and mostly recently, serving as the Chief Executive Officer of Ambulatory Services.

“A major part of ARH’s commitment to our communities is to provide locally accessible options for a wide-range of healthcare services. This not only includes the advanced medical services or emergency care we provide in our hospitals, but the equally important ambulatory care provided at our clinic locations and provider offices. These services assist our patients in being proactive in managing their chronic health conditions to help prevent serious illnesses and improve their overall health,” said ARH President and CEO Hollie Harris Phillips. “For the past nine years Roy has played a major role in the creation and implementation of these services throughout our ARH service area. I appreciate his expertise in managing ambulatory services combined with his strong commitment to improving the health of our communities and am excited for the future of ambulatory care at ARH under his direction.”

In his new role, Milwee will provide strategic leadership for clinical operations and will establish and maintain an effective overall organization of outpatient services. He also will direct in conjunction with the department managers and department administrators, the selection, employment, compensation and evaluation of employees within the ambulatory operations. Milwee also is responsible for the effective development of outpatient facility resources.

Milwee began his career with ARH in 2009 as a Community Based Planner where he coordinated and developed strategic plans for many ARH services and later served as Assistant Administrator for Mary Breckinridge ARH Hospital, assisting with the transition of the hospital into the ARH healthcare system, before moving his focus to ambulatory services. He received a Bachelor of Science in business administration from Union College in Barbourville, Ky. and completed his Master of Business Administration in healthcare management from the University of Phoenix.

“I am humbled and honored to be a part of a mission-driven organization like ARH,” said Milwee. “Being a native of Eastern Kentucky, I take great pride in helping improve access to high quality care for our communities.  I am thankful for this opportunity and look forward to further serving the people in Eastern Kentucky and Southern West Virginia.”

Due to a rising number of staff and teachers in quarantine, Evarts Elementary School will be closed Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, September 1-3, 2021. Classes will resume on Tuesday, September 7.

Classes will continue until the regular dismissal time today.

Athletic and other activities at Evarts are cancelled during this time.

The number of teachers and staff who are in quarantine as a result of exposure, necessitates the school close. We have reached the number of employees who are now in quarantine that we can not deliver required services at Evarts Elementary.

Custodial staff will continue to sanitize and deep clean the school.

Again, classes will resume on Tuesday, September 7.

Any weather related cancelations will be posted here.

Live Wednesday’s at 8pm!

Important Information-Please Share! (COVID-19 Weekly Update/County Records Highest Weekly Case Total Since Beginning of Pandemic, 53 New Cases Today, Only 1 Ky. County Not in Red Category, and more than 10,100 Harlan Countians Vaccinated)

August 30, 2021

Good Evening,

With the continuing spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant, last week, Harlan County recorded the single highest weekly case total since the pandemic began. 234 new cases were recorded breaking the previous single week high of 201 recorded the week of January 3rd-9th.

Today, 53 new cases were reported. Two Monday’s ago, I told you that based on the case trends that August may end up being the third highest monthly total since the pandemic began. Based on the case counts since that point, August will actually end up being the second highest monthly case total and maybe even the highest monthly total depending on what occurs on Tuesday. If tomorrow’s case total is 55 or higher, it will break the December record case month of 677.

Our total case count stands at 3,648 through Monday. There are 320 active cases currently in Harlan County. There are currently 16 Harlan Countians hospitalized with COVID-19 at 3 different hospitals. 3 of the hospitalized individuals are in Intensive Care (ICU). Approximately 2,750 Harlan Countians have recovered from the virus.

Sadly, last week we lost 3 more Harlan Countians to this virus. This brings our death toll to 105 Harlan Countians lost to COVID-19, 9 this month alone. Please remember these families in your prayers as they grieve the loss of their loved ones. Our mortality rate is 2.88% currently. The state’s mortality rate is 1.35%. The nation’s mortality rate is 1.64%.

The graphic below provides quarantine guidance. I’ve been asked by many what to do if you are a contact of a positive case. The Health Department is overwhelmed with the amount of cases they are working and are not able to reach out to contacts of positive cases. People who test positive should reach out to close contacts to notify them of exposure. This graphic will explain what to do. If you have been fully vaccinated for 2 weeks or longer, and are a contact of a positive case, the CDC says you should quarantine if you have symptoms.

COVID-19 Vaccines are available for anyone 12 and older. Vaccines are available locally at Harlan ARH, MCHC, Walgreens, Harlan County Health Department, Clover Fork Clinic, and Wal-Mart.
If you need transportation to get a vaccine, call 573-5335 to speak with Harlan County CAA.

More than 2.5 million people in Kentucky have received at least one dose of the vaccine. So far, 2,524,083 people have received at least a first dose of the vaccine in Kentucky up nearly 48,000 from last Monday. This represents 57% of the entire state population that has been vaccinated.

In Harlan County, as of today, 10,140 people have received at least one dose of the vaccine, up 287 from last Monday. That represents 37.37% of the entire population. 9,689 have been people 18 and older. 2,858 of the total vaccinated have been people 65 and older.

Harlan County remained in the red category in the state incidence rate map and our rate continues to climb. Our incidence rate is currently 130.2. As of today, all but one county in the state is in the red category. Woodford County returned to the orange and is the only county not red. Woodford County also leads the state with 73% of their citizens vaccinated.

The state announced 2,619 new cases in Kentucky today which brings Kentucky’s total cases to 572,517. The state’s death total from COVID-19 is now at 7,741. The state’s positivity rate currently sits at 13.45%. The United States death toll from COVID-19 is now over 638,500 up nearly 9,400 people since last Monday.

I will provide another comprehensive update next Monday evening. I hope to provide another brief update later this week with more vaccinated/unvaccinated case statistics. As always, you can refer to the Harlan County Health Department page for the daily case numbers.

Please remember to keep folks dealing with this virus in your thoughts and prayers.

Have a great week!

Dan Mosley
Judge/Executive

Emma Darlene Brown Lester, age 65, met her Savior face to face Saturday, August 28, 2021, at the Baptist Health Hospital in Lexington, KY. Born on September 21, 1955, to Cecil and Virginia Saylor Brown, Darlene and her sister, Kris, were Harlan County born and raised. As a teenager, attending Cawood High School, she met and fell in love with a young man named Bruce, who was the love of her life. On July 8, 1974, the two were married. That love spanned 47 years and produced four children, Casey, Laura, Ashley Kristen, and Clint, all who were their parents’ pride and joy.

Darlene worked many years for, and retired from, the Harlan Independent School District as a secretary. If anyone wanted anything done at the school, Darlene was the person they called. She was always willing to help wherever she was needed. She always had smile, a kind word to say, or a prayer to offer to those she came in contact with. She had a servant’s heart and was generous with her time, money, and love. Family meant everything to Darlene. While Darlene was her birth name, her favorite names were Mom and eventually, Gram, a name given to her with the arrival of her four grandchildren, Cameron, Caden, Ella, and Emmalyn. Her Pentecostal faith, family, and helping others took top priority in her life.

Darlene is preceded in death by her parents, Cecil and Jenny, as well as daughter, Ashley Kristen. She is survived by her loving husband, Bruce; her three children and their spouses, Casey and Kristin Lester, of Harlan, Laura and Wes Chitwood, of Lexington, and Clint and Janel Lester, also of Lexington; four grandchildren, Cameron, Caden, Ella, and Emmalyn; as well as a host of family and dear friends.

Visitation for Darlene will be Tuesday, August 31, from 5:00pm until 7:00pm at the Harlan Funeral Home with the funeral following at 7:00pm, with Pastor Josh Doyle officiating. A private graveside service will be held at the Harlan County Memorial Gardens, with Eddie Estep officiating.

TO KNOW HER WAS TO LOVE HER.

Theren “TJ” White, 41 of Wallins, KY, passed away on Friday August 27, 2021, at Harlan ARH. He was born on December 31, 1979, in Aurora, Colorado to the late Dickie Royce White and Francis Schmidt White. TJ was a Veteran of the United States Army, an employee for General Dynamic Information Tech in Barbourville, KY, and a member of the Harlan Christian Church. TJ was known for his fun personality and made sure everyone around him had fun. He was a loving husband and father, and a die-hard Colorado Avalanche fan.

Other than his parents, he is preceded in death by his sister, Renata Brynn White.

Those left to cherish his memories, are his loving wife, Amber White, and his two children, Zoie Wilson, and Zane White. A host of relatives and friends also survive.

Funeral services will be held on Monday August 30, 2021, at 6 PM in the Chapel of the Henson and Rich Funeral Home with the Rev. David Johnson and Rev. Chris Wheeler officiating and Military Honors by the Harlan County Honor Guard.

Visitation will also be on Monday from 4-6 PM at the funeral home.