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Appalachian
Region Commission

Technical Assistance Center

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About the ARC-TAC

Next Generation Solutions for Rural Healthcare in Appalachian PA and NY

ARC-TAC is a new program led by the Rural Health Redesign Center (RHRC), funded through ARISE, a $5.2 million grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC). ARC-TAC supports rural healthcare providers in 66 Appalachian counties across Pennsylvania and New York by:

  • Delivering expert technical assistance to underresourced healthcare systems
  • Supporting the long-term sustainability of healthcare jobs and training pipelines
  • Preparing providers for innovative payment models that prioritize outcomes and affordability

 

Through ARC-TAC, eligible healthcare organizations can access consulting, planning support, and connections to a collaborative partner network — all at no cost. This initiative builds on RHRC’s successful history in rural health transformation, helping communities develop sustainable strategies for accessible, high-quality care.

Program Components

Technical Assistance for Healthcare Organizations

Workforce Development for Rural Communities

Alternative Payment Strategies for Rural Health Reform

Serving 66 counties in Appalachian Pennsylvania and New York

The ARC-TAC Region

This regional effort targets rural communities across:

  • Adams
  • Allegheny
  • Armstrong
  • Beaver
  • Bedford
  • Blair
  • Bradford
  • Butler
  • Cambria
  • Cameron
  • Carbon
  • Centre
  • Clarion
  • Clearfield
  • Clinton
  • Columbia
  • Crawford
  • Cumberland
  • Dauphin
  • Elk
  • Erie
  • Fayette
  • Forest
  • Franklin
  • Fulton
  • Greene
  • Huntingdon
  • Indiana
  • Jefferson
  • Juniata
  • Lackawanna
  • Lawrence
  • Luzerne
  • Lycoming
  • McKean
  • Mercer
  • Mifflin
  • Monroe
  • Montour
  • Northumberland
  • Perry
  • Pike
  • Allegany
  • Broome
  • Cattaraugus
  • Chemung
  • Chenango
  • Cortland
  • Delaware
  • Otsego
  • Schoharie
  • Schuyler
  • Steuben
  • Sullivan
  • Tioga
  • Tompkins

Healthcare organizations within these counties are eligible to apply for ARISE support.

The Process

Are you part of a healthcare organization in Appalachian Pennsylvania or New York looking to improve healthcare access, quality, and sustainability in your community? The ARC-TAC program offers no-cost technical assistance and strategic guidance to help rural healthcare providers grow, innovate, and thrive in today’s complex healthcare environment.

Step 1:
Contact the ARC-TAC team

Reach out any time of the year—applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Email ARHSupport@rhrco.org
or call (717) 740-6308 to learn more.

Step 2:
Participate in an introductory call

Our staff will coordinate a brief call to learn about your organization’s goals and challenges and to explain how ARC-TAC support works.

Step 3:
Confirm eligibility - Fill out the intake form

Complete intake assessment
If the program appears to be a good fit for your healthcare organization, based on our discussion, we will invite you to complete our standard intake assessment.

INTAKE FORM
Step 4:
Enrollment

In partnership with ARISE and the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), our team will finalize your enrollment and outline a technical-assistance roadmap tailored to your needs.

Step 5:
Onboarding & action planning

Once enrolled, you’ll be paired with rural-health experts who will help you identify organizational and community opportunities, ranging from compliance and revenue-cycle optimization to service-line development, fund development, and more.

ARC-TAC is supported by ARISE and the Appalachian Regional Commission. All services are provided at no cost to participating organizations.

Meet the Team

Our team is composed of long-term rural residents and healthcare executives. Our passion for helping rural communities thrive comes from our lived experience and over 300 years of rural health and hospital operations experience across our team.  We are committed to addressing rurally relevant issues through creative and practical approaches.

Janice Walters

Chief Executive Officer

Sue Pascarella

CRHCP

Program Director

Gary Rhodes

Regional Liaison

Kayla Combs

MHA

Regional Liaison

Josh Miller

Senior Project Manager

Cameron Knox

MPH

Project Coordinator

Get In Touch

Have questions about ARC-TAC or want to learn how your organization can get involved? Reach out today.

  • ARHSupport@RHRCO.org

  • (717) 740-6308

The Appalachian Region Commission Technical Assistance Center is funded by the Appalachian Regional Commission’s Appalachian Regional Initiative for Stronger Economies (ARISE) program. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ARC or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit ARC.gov.
anna anna
Anna Anna
RN, BSN, MHA
Program Director

Anna is a former CEO of a Critical Access Hospital and a Board Certifed Nurse Executive with 30 years experience in rural healthcare. She understands the complexities of rural and can relate to healthcare leaders from having been in their shoes. In her role, she provides leadership ensuring consistency and alignment across every program.

Sue Pascarella
Sue Pascarella
CRHCP
Program Director

Sue has dedicated her entire career to rural healthcare, working within provider practices, including rural health clinics. Recently, she became a Certified Rural Health Clinic Professional (CRHCP) with the National Association of Rural Health Clinics. Her extensive experience as a Director of Practice Management in hospital systems, coupled with her interactions with hospital leadership, brings valuable perspective to her role within the RHRC as the Program Director for the ARH-TAC grant.

gary rhodes
Gary Rhodes
Regional Liaison
Gary joined the team in 2022 with over 31 years of healthcare leadership experience. He previously occupied the dual roles of V.P. and President at 2 rural hospitals, one of which is a 10-bed PPS hospital that implemented the first rural P.A. telemedicine unit with a regional trauma center.
Kayla Combs RHRC Regional Liaison
Kayla Combs
MHA
Regional Liaison

Kayla Combs works with rural facilities and communities across the southern region of the U.S. to connect them with the resources and technical assistance o ered by the RHRC and Rural Emergency Hospital Technical Assistance Center. In this role, Kayla supports over 25 rural emergency hospitals. Before joining the RHRC, she served as the Flex Program Director at the Kentucky O ce of Rural Health for over ten years and later supported the Flex Program as a Program Specialist at the National Rural Health Resource Center. She holds a Master of Health Administration from the University of Kentucky and has a strong background in grant management, hospital operations, and healthcare improvement initiatives. Originally from rural southeastern Kentucky, Kayla now enjoys life at her new home in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Josh Miller Sr. Project Manager
Josh Miller
Senior Project Manager

Josh is a resident of rural Maine with extensive experience managing programs and working with state partners in the Northern Border Region. He is passionate about improving access and quality of care, especially as it relates to substance use disorder.

Cameron Knox
Cameron Knox
MPH
Project Coordinator
Cameron is a Project Coordinator at the Rural Health Redesign Center, managing healthcare initiatives by overseeing projects, facilitating stakeholder collaboration, and ensuring timelines are met. With a Master of Public Health from East Tennessee State University, Cameron brings experience working in rural Appalachia and knowledge in healthcare administration, management, project coordination, and reporting. His work focuses on improving healthcare access and outcomes through collaborative planning and effective coordination.

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Diana Carpenter Project Manager
Diana Carpenter​
Project Manager

Diana joined the RHRC team in 2019, bringing with her an extensive background in social services. Having been raised in a rural area, she is deeply committed to facilitating access to essential services for rural residents within their communities.  Diana supports several teams within the RHRC in her current role as a Project Manager.

Appalachian Region Commission Technical Assistance Center EMAIL CALL About the ARC-TAC Next Generation Solutions for Rural Healthcare in Appalachian PA and NY ARC-TAC is a new program led by the […]

Appalachian Region Commission Technical Assistance Center EMAIL CALL About the ARC-TAC Next Generation Solutions for Rural Healthcare in Appalachian PA and NY ARC-TAC is a new program led by the […]

Ken Harman RHRC Regional Liaison
Ken Harman
Regional Liaison

Ken Harman is a Regional Liaison with the Rural Health Redesign Center and the Rural Emergency Hospital Technical Assistance Center for the Midwest and Western States. He brings over 30 years’ healthcare experience, with the last 20 years being a rural Critical Access Hospital CEO. He has served in Wyoming, Colorado, Idaho, California, Utah and Minnesota. He graduated in 1996 from the University of Minnesota with a Master’s in Healthcare Administration and from the University of Utah in 1990 with a Bachelors of Science in Economics. He has a passion for rural healthcare and in assisting organizations and communities in sustaining and growing to take care of community needs.

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tom harlow
Tom Harlow
Program Director

Tom has over 43 years of healthcare experience, with 24 in executive leadership and 16 in rural settings. In his role, he provides tactical assistance to rural providers in areas such as workforce, strategic planning, and value-based care.

janice walters
Janice Walters
Executive Director

Janice has been leading the work of the RHRC since its inception. She has a background in health nance and is a highly rated rural health expert with over 20 years of relevant leadership experience. She works closely with rural health executives, state and federal partners, and other community stakeholders to ensure access to quality healthcare in maintained across the rural U.S.