1981 and a Doctor of Medicine degree from the Marshall University Joan C . Edwards School of Medicine in 1985 .
Besides founding the Marshall University School of Pharmacy , he also served as its first dean .
“ I felt that a school of pharmacy at Marshall University , and in an academic medical center , would advance the proper position of pharmacists in the health care team-based environment ,” he says . “ There are needs across the region for pharmacists advancing health care . For example , helping people adhere to their medication therapy is incredibly important , especially in Appalachian communities .”
Yingling ’ s medical service has taken him well beyond the tri-state area . He has gone on medical missions to Haiti , Honduras , Nicaragua , Cochabamba , Bolivia and Moscow .
He also serves on the board of directors of Doctors Care of Cabell County , a voluntary physician organization providing free services to vulnerable
populations ; Tri-State Medical Mission , an organization that sponsors faith-based medical missions to Haiti since the earthquake in 2010 and yearly missions for women ’ s health surgeries ; and Tri-State Bible College . He has also served on the Cabell County Board of Health since 2012 and was its chairman from 2020 to 2021 .
Yingling ’ s upbringing and education in West Virginia led him to develop a deep kinship to the state ’ s people , history , struggles and health care needs .
During a five-year stint in Cincinnati , Yingling ’ s wife , Mary Alice , would occasionally wear a “ Wizard of Oz ” sweatshirt that said , “ There ’ s no place like home .” The sweatshirt resonated with him , especially after long shifts .
“ She and the sweatshirt were right ,” he says . “ So , I realized it was best for my wife , myself and my family to return to Huntington and start a career here .”
To Yingling , there ’ s no place like West Virginia . •
Building the Future
By Angela Henderson-Bentley
Mountain Health Network is a West Virginia-based not-for-profit health delivery system comprised of Cabell Huntington Hospital , St . Mary ’ s Medical Center , Hoops Family Children ’ s Hospital and HIMG and holds a management agreement with Pleasant Valley Hospital .
“ Mountain Health Network has made significant strides in its first few years of existence ,” said Kevin Yingling , RPh , M . D ., FACP , CEO of Mountain Health Network . “ We are evolving , changing , moving and growing , and it ’ s very exciting to be part of that .”
Mountain Health is committed to improving the health and well-being of over 1 million children and adults in 23 counties in West Virginia , southern Ohio and eastern Kentucky through understanding , respecting and meeting their needs . Its vision is to create a world-class health system that delivers compassionate and innovative care enhanced by education , research and technology .
Mountain Health Network has developed two centers of excellence : The Pediatric Center of Excellence at Hoops Family Children ’ s Hospital and the Cardiovascular Center of Excellence at St . Mary ’ s Regional Heart Institute . To become a center of excellence , the clinical area must be recognized by the medical community , the public and accrediting bodies as providing the most expert and highest level of compassionate and innovative care .
“ We hold ourselves to a higher standard for the communities we serve throughout central Appalachia ,” Yingling says . “ We are dedicated to providing advanced medicine and compassionate care to every individual who enters our health care system .”
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