Same Sky · Appalachia · 13 states  ·  423 counties
About — Same Sky Appalachia

Led by people who care about
Appalachian children.

Same Sky Appalachia is built by parents and pediatricians from and in this region — people who grew up here, practice here, and have a personal stake in the health and wellbeing of the children who call Appalachia home.

Across Appalachia, parents want the same things parents everywhere want: children who are healthy, safe, and have a real shot at a good life.

Same Sky Appalachia exists to make sure the country hears them. We believe the voices of Appalachian families belong in the national conversation on children's health and wellbeing — not as an afterthought, but as an anchor.

We are building that presence: through rigorous polling, community listening, and university partnerships rooted in the region — carried forward by a team that is part of Appalachia, not just studying it.

Stephen W. Patrick, MD, MPH, MS, FAAP
Stephen W. Patrick, MD, MPH, MS, FAAP
Founder, Same Sky
Chair, Department of Health Policy and Management
Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University
Read the full founder's statement →
From the founder

Why Appalachia. Why now.

Stephen W. Patrick was born in Bluefield, West Virginia. His connection to Appalachia is not academic — it is personal, generational, and enduring. That background shapes everything about how Same Sky Appalachia was built: who leads it, how it listens, and why it exists.

Appalachian parents don't need someone from the outside telling them what their children need. They need someone to listen — and then to carry what they said into the rooms where decisions get made.

In his founder's statement, Stephen writes about what it means to be from a place the country talks past, and why he believes children's health and wellbeing must become the organizing principle of American policy — regardless of who holds power.

Read the full founder's statement →
The team

People from and in Appalachia

Same Sky Appalachia is led by pediatricians and researchers who have personal and professional roots in this region — alongside a national team committed to translating family voice into evidence and evidence into policy.

Appalachia leadership
Stephen W. Patrick
Stephen W. Patrick, MD, MPH, MS, FAAP
Founder & Director
Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University

Stephen was born in Bluefield, West Virginia, and his family has been there for generations. He is the O. Wayne Rollins Professor and Chair of Health Policy and Management at Emory, a practicing neonatologist at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, and a 2026 Presidential Leadership Scholar. He previously served as Senior Policy Advisor at the White House and has authored more than 150 peer-reviewed articles.

Bethany F. Hodge, MD
Bethany F. Hodge, MD
Partner
Professor of Pediatrics, University of Kentucky

Bethany is a Professor of Pediatrics and Hospital Medicine at the University of Kentucky's Golisano Children's Hospital. She leads Same Sky Appalachia's community engagement and research for eastern Kentucky, bringing both clinical expertise and deep regional relationships to this work.

Lisa Marie Costello, MD, MPH, FAAP
Lisa Marie Costello, MD, MPH, FAAP
Partner
Associate Professor of Pediatrics, West Virginia University

Lisa is an Associate Professor in the Division of Pediatric General Medicine at West Virginia University School of Medicine. A lifelong West Virginian, she leads Same Sky Appalachia's research and engagement for West Virginia — bringing both scientific rigor and genuine community roots to this work.

National team
Sarah Loch
Sarah Loch, MPH
Director of Research & Strategy
Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University

[Bio coming soon.]

Ellie Pourbohloul
Ellie Pourbohloul
Communications Director
Same Sky

Ellie is a communications strategist with nearly a decade of experience across research, healthcare, and technology, specializing in translating complex information into messaging that informs and engages diverse audiences. She has developed multi-channel communications on behalf of government agencies, researchers, and organizational leaders.

Raphiel J. Murden
Raphiel J. Murden
Biostatistician
Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University

Raphiel is an Assistant Professor of Biostatistics at the Rollins School of Public Health, where his work spans child welfare, women's health, HIV, and neuroimaging. He has analyzed and reported results from the Same Sky poll and collaborates with Dr. Patrick on research examining state policies' effects on infant foster care placement and maltreatment.

Same Sky Appalachia is one of two anchor regional initiatives within the broader Same Sky effort, housed at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University. Our work here is part of a larger national effort to make children the organizing principle of American policy.

Children cannot vote. They have no lobby. That is exactly why this work matters — and why it will continue, regardless of who holds power.

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