Pikeville Medical, AVA Center go blue as autism reminder

PIKEVILLE, Ky. (WTVQ) – On April 2, 2021, Pikeville Medical Center’s (PMC) Appalachian Valley Autism (AVA) Center has joined millions worldwide in recognizing World Autism Awareness Day.

The AVA Center joined the “Light it Up Blue” movement in recognition of people with autism and those who love and support them.

Hundreds of thousands of landmarks, buildings and homes across the world will do the same in a unified effort to kick off April as Autism Awareness Month.

“PMC’s AVA Center is proud to shine a light on Autism awareness in support of not only the world autism community but those families in our region with loved ones on the autism spectrum,” said PMC CEO and Board of Directors Vice President, Donovan Blackburn. “The demand for the specialized services provided at the AVA Center has far exceeded our expectations, which has intensified our commitment to expand to fill the tremendous need in our region.”

Every night in April, the AVA Center will be illuminated in blue lights. In addition, a 40-foot banner has been placed in front of PMC’s main campus, where community members are encouraged to write kind words or encouraging messages in support of autism awareness.

“Recognizing this special day and month is important to the AVA Center and Pikeville Medical Center,” explained Blackburn. “We are lighting up our Center for autism awareness, our learners and the facility that continues to change the lives of children on the autism spectrum and their families.”

Since opening in May of 2020, the AVA Center has quickly expanded from a 3,000 square foot building to a four-story, 27,000 square foot facility.  

The AVA Center is the first comprehensive center of its kind in Eastern Kentucky to offer Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), speech, occupational and feeding therapies for children on the autism spectrum. To learn more about the AVA Center, visit www.SpeakFromTheHeart.org. 

Pikeville Medical Center is a 348-bed regional referral center and Kentucky’s only Level II trauma center. PMC offers more than 400 services, including every major specialty and many subspecialties, and features the region’s most advanced medical technology. PMC employs nearly 3,000 people and has approximately 400 credentialed healthcare providers.