Dr. Amy Martin, deputy director of the SC Rural Health Research Center at the University of South Carolina Arnold School of Public Health was nominated by the SC Department of Commerce to represent South Carolina on the Appalachian Regional Commission's Health Policy Council. The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) is a regional economic development agency that represents a partnership of federal, state, and local government. Formed in 1999, the ARC's Health Policy Advisory Council (AHPAC) advises the commission on health issues and concerns in the Appalachian Region. Council members include state rural health directors, academics, local health care practitioners, and economic development officials. The council focuses on current regional health issues and advises the commission on responses to emerging health problems.