The Healthy Appalachia Institute (HAI) at The University of Virginia’s College at Wise (UVA Wise) is a collaboration between critical thinkers, scholars, system planners and leaders in government, education, business and healthcare. Through this collaboration, HAI provides policy makers, healthcare systems, educators, the business community and the region’s citizens the necessary resources, ideas and strategies to foster a healthier citizenry in Central Appalachia.
The vision of the HAI is unique among university-based Appalachian programs in that it seeks to transform Central Appalachia into a leading model for rural community health throughout the world.
This vision is moved forward through the Healthy Appalachia Institute’s mission to improve the health, education and prosperity for the residents of the region. The HAI is implementing a broad series of actions including:
The issues of energy, education, work and health are at the center of our nation’s most significant challenges. These same issues are at the heart of HAI and its mission. While Central Appalachia has been often considered “the other America,” the HAI region is the focal point of our most important national debates. To ignore the contradictions and challenges of Central Appalachia is to ignore the greatest issues facing the nation as a whole. HAI seeks to elevate the issues facing the region and the power of community-based solutions to a national level.