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Harlan ARH Hospital welcomed its first baby of the new year born on Jan. 2.

Greyson Cole Dople was delivered at Harlan ARH weighing 6 pounds and 9 ounces, measuring 20.5 inches long. He is the son of Skyla Louise and Jarrod Dople, of Loyall. Greyson is one of six siblings, with four brothers and a sister. He is the grandson of Deborah Buell, of Loyall, and Trish Ireton and Gary Dean, of Lancaster.

Excited after the birth of their son Greyson, Louise said, “I want to thank the OB doctor and nurses for the great care. I am just so excited he is the first baby of the year here, I can’t tell you. I knew it was close and kept asking and hoping he was going to be.”

Lousie added she was also really impressed with the staff.

“They were so nice, so helpful, and absolutely amazing,” she said. “They answered all the questions I had. The nurses cannot get enough recognition. They were with me all the time, every time I needed anything they were right there. Everyone has just been so wonderful!”

As the first baby born at Harlan ARH in 2020, the hospital gave Greyson and his family a large baby bathtub full of items every parent of a newborn needs, including a baby monitor.

Harlan ARH offers private labor-delivery-recovery rooms where the focus is on a family-centered birthing experience. Once the baby is born, the hospital offers rooming for parents and baby to enhance teaching with a nurse available and dedicated to this service.

Harlan ARH also makes sure their obstetric and nursery patients are kept safe with a state-of-the-art security system.

“Location, comfort and hospitality supported by a team of highly experienced physicians and nurses are important when selecting an environment to give birth,” said Donnie Fields, Community CEO at Harlan ARH. “You can trust the Harlan ARH team to provide compassionate and individualized patient care.”

ARH is a not-for-profit health system operating 13 hospitals in Barbourville, Hazard, Harlan, Hyden, Martin, McDowell, Middlesboro, Prestonsburg, West Liberty, Whitesburg and South Williamson in Kentucky and Beckley and Hinton in West Virginia, as well as multi-specialty physician practices, home health agencies, home medical equipment stores and retail pharmacies.

ARH employs more than 6,000 people with an annual payroll and benefits of $330 million generated into our local economies. ARH also has a network of more than 600 active and courtesy medical staff members. ARH is the largest provider of care and single-largest employer in southeastern Kentucky and the third-largest private employer in southern West Virginia.