Monday, October 12, 2026

8:00 am

Registration Open and Light Breakfast

9:00 am - 10:00 am 

Welcome and Opening Remarks

Keynote Address 
Amy D. Clark, PhD, UVA Wise

10:00 am - 10:15 am

Break and Visit Exhibitors

10:15 am - 11:45 am

Concurrent Breakout Sessions

Communities, Environments, and Emerging Health Challenges

Establishing Community-Engaged Participatory Research to Examine Water Contamination with Forever Chemicals in Central Pennsylvania. The PERSIST Study, PFAS Exposure Research: Studying Impact with Surveys and Blood Testing
Carolyn McCabe, PhD, MS, Geisinger

Physical Design Elements that Influence the Quality and Delivery of Crisis Care: A Case Study in Southwest Virginia
Lara Nagle, Community-based Research Manager, Virginia Tech

Translating Evidence into Community Action: Addressing the Environmental Health Impacts of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Data Center Development in Rural Appalachia
Amy Margolies, PhD, International Health/Health Systems, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Tucked United

Diabetes: From Epidemiology to Implementation

Geographic and Temporal Trends in Diabetes-Related Preventable Hospitalizations in Kentucky, 2016-2024
Virginia Leidner, MPH, University of Kentucky

Integrating Evidence-Based Diabetes Education into Routine Primary Care: A Practice-Based Implementation Initiative in Appalachia
Angela Occidental, DNP, APRN-CNP, Duncan Medical (Dr. James H. Duncan Inc)

Tailoring Rapid Process Improvement Workshops to Support a Community–Clinical Linkage Intervention in Rural Diabetes Care
Mary E. Lacy PhD,, University of Kentucky

Complex Care, Communication, and Treatment Adherence

Goals-of-Care Transitions Among Hospitalized Patients with Dementia in Rural Appalachia: Findings from the D-UTILIZE Study
Akshay Raut, MD, Guthrie/Robert Packer Hospital

Adherence Challenges Following Pediatric Stem Cell Transplant: An Appalachian Perspective
Lydia Wisne, Nationwide Children’s Hospital

The Role of Appalachian Residency in Allocation of Treatment Responsibility, Family Communication, and Medication Adherence in Adolescent & Young Adult Oncology and Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Dyads
Bianca Franklin, B.S., M.S., Nationwide Children’s Hospital

Workshop

Artificial Intelligence and Rural Health in Appalachia: Practical Opportunities, Ethical Challenges, and Translational Research Priorities
Ramin Zand, MD, MPH, Pennsylvania State University

11:45 am - 12:00 pm

Break and Visit Exhibitors

12:00 pm - 1:30 pm 

Lunch Plenary

Food is Medicine: Improving Nutrition and Health in Appalachia

Rachel Patricia Zimmer, DNP, NP, Wake Forest University School of Medicine

Christopher A. Taylor PhD RDN LD FAND, The Ohio State University School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences

Alison Gustafson, Ph.D., The University of Kentucky

Sanja Ilic, PhD, The Ohio State University, Department of Human Sciences Human Nutrition

1:30 pm - 1:45 pm

Break and Visit Exhibitors

1:45 pm - 3:15 pm 

Concurrent Breakout Sessions

Health Information, Technology, and Innovation

Navigating the Digital Health Landscape in Rural Appalachia: A Survey of Online Health Information Seeking Behaviors Among West Virginians
Marisa Watson, MA, MS, West Virginia University Cancer Institute

Transforming Rural Workforce Evaluation Through PRISM Data
Sierra Williams, MPH, MS, University of Kentucky

Try First, Adopt Later: Rethinking mHealth Diffusion in Rural Appalachian Primary Care
Temitope Ajagbe, PhD, Walden University

Mental Health, Behavioral Health, and Wellbeing

Advancing Mental Health for First Responders: Developing an Evidence-Based Research Agenda for Rural Communities
Amy Dagenhart, B.S., Appalachian State University

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and the Role of Protective Factors: A Comparison of Two Appalachian Patient Populations
Karen L. Roper PhD,, University of Kentucky College of Medicine: Dept. of Family & Community Medicine

The Appalachian Pediatric Psychiatric Access Research Initiative (APPARI): Building an Evidence Base to Improve Behavioral Health Access Across Appalachia
Keysha Workman, Appalachian State University

Tobacco, Smoking, and Cancer

Adapting an Evidence-Based Lung Cancer Care Coordination Intervention for Rural Appalachia: A Planned Adaptation Approach
Sabina Nduaguba, PhD, West Virginia University

Elevated Lung Cancer Risk: High Indoor Radon and Smoking Prevalence in the NC Appalachian Region
Jill Singer, PhD, MPH, Wake Forest University School of Medicine

Trends in smoking and vaping in Appalachian Ohio: Results from a repeated cross-sectional survey of Ohio adults
Amy Ferketich, PhD, The Ohio State University

Children, Families, and Disability

Accessing Intensive Rehabilitation After Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy: Experiences of Families Living in Appalachian Communities
Kristen Blatt, PT, DPT, Ohio University

Feasibility and Acceptability of an Inclusive Sports Program for Children With and Without Disabilities in an Appalachian Community
Rachel Bican, PT, DPT, PhD, Ohio University

Social Determinants of Health and Quality of Life Among Pediatric Surgical Oncology Patients
Neil Hariths, B.S. (In Progress), The Ohio State University

3:15 pm - 3:30 pm 

Break and Visit Exhibitors

3:30 pm - 5:00 pm

Concurrent Breakout Sessions

Maternal and Perinatal Health

A Midwife-Led Initiative to Offer Waterbirth in an Appalachian Hospital
Amanda Luff, PhD, MPH, Wake Forest University School of Medicine

Listening to Appalachian Mothers: Current Challenges and Strengths of Perinatal Care in Ohio and North Carolina
Julia Mackessy, MA, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Measuring Maternal Healthcare Access in Appalachia: Development of a Statewide Obstetric Services Database and Integrated Research Program
Ashley Parks, DrPH, MPH, MBA, MTech, CHES, CPH, CPHQ, CHFP, PMP, Appalachian State University

Substance Use, Recovery, and Harm Reduction

Disrupting the Cycle: Community Health Workers at the front lines of Overdose Prevention
Kyle Burnett, CCHW, University of Kentucky

From Crisis to Care: Building an Integrated Harm Reduction Model in Rural Ohio
Halea Hatten, MSE, Portsmouth City Health Department

Reverse the Cycle with Peer Support Recovery Specialists in Rural Healthcare
Ashley Adkins, Juris Doctor, Appalachian Regional Healthcare

Community-Engaged Research and Partnerships

Listening Before Launching: A Model for Community-Centered Research Program Launches in Appalachia
Misti Allison, MPH, University of Kentucky

The Impact of Community Collaboration in Research in Rural Appalachia Ohio
Beverly Stringer, Southeast Ohio Community Engagement Manager, The Ohio State University

Using Audience Insights to Design Communication Strategies to Increase Rural Participation in Clinical Trials
Dannell Boatman, EdD, MS, West Virginia University

Advances in Research Methodology

Study of Housing and Population Erosion (SHAPE) in Rural West Virginia
Emily Robinson, MA, PMP, West Virginia University

Advancing Access to Appalachian Health Literature: Methodologies for a Comprehensive Search Hedge
Cayla Robinson, MSLS, University of Kentucky

Addressing Fraudulent Responses in a Community Survey Examining Partnerships Supporting Rural Kentucky Diabetes Patients
Emily Clear, MPH, CHES, University of Kentucky