Introduction To The Journal

Welcome to our Inaugural Issue! The Blue Cross NC Institute for Health and Human Services (IHHS), housed administratively under the Beaver College of Health Sciences, is one of only two institutes at Appalachian State University. The Vision of the IHHS is that it will be the preeminent vehicle for connecting university resources to community needs for the promotion of health and wellness research, clinical training, and outreach in Western North Carolina. As our vision states, “We aspire to create a community of learning—or regional classroom—wherein all community members are engaged with Appalachian in the process of learning, training students, seeking new knowledge, and directing the future of a healthy and prosperous region.”