Boone Memorial Health is pleased to welcome Ladie Viars, Population Health Programs Manager, back to the education side of healthcare, where she will continue her passion for helping individuals improve their health and wellness through education, support, and community engagement.
For Ladie, community health education has always been at the heart of her work. She describes education as her true passion, emphasizing the importance of empowering people with the knowledge and resources they need to make informed decisions about their health. Returning to this role also allows her to reconnect with what she missed most while away—the opportunity to work directly with community members and build meaningful one-on-one relationships.
In her renewed role as the Population Health Programs Manager, Ladie is focused on making a positive impact on population health and helping create a healthier community. She hopes to expand opportunities for residents to improve their overall well-being through educational programs, wellness initiatives, preventive health services, and disease management.
Ladie brings a unique perspective to her work through her own personal health journey. More than 20 years ago, she underwent weight loss surgery, but she explains that lasting success came years later when she participated in the Healthy Lifestyle Program/National Diabetes Prevention Program in 2020. Through that experience, she learned the importance of sustainable lifestyle changes, healthy habits, and consistency. Her journey reinforced the belief that while medical interventions can be valuable tools, long-term success depends on the daily choices individuals make to support their health.
This personal experience allows Ladie to connect with participants in a compassionate and relatable way. Her approach focuses on meeting people where they are in their health journey and helping them develop realistic strategies that fit their individual needs and goals. She believes that meaningful change often begins with small, consistent steps and that understanding personal habits and triggers are key to achieving lasting results.
As part of her return, Ladie will be involved in several upcoming wellness initiatives, including the Healthy Lifestyle Program/National Diabetes Prevention Program, which will currently take place on Tuesdays (10 AM and 5 PM) and Wednesdays (10 AM and 5 PM) at the Danville Community Center. She will lead the Healthy Lifestyle Program Wednesday classes, lead the Walk With Ease program at Madison Civic Center (Monday-Wednesday at 12 PM) and future Lunch & Learn educational sessions.
Reflecting on her philosophy of health and wellness, Ladie shared, “Everyone has an individual journey and story. No two people will follow the exact same journey—you have to meet people where they are.”
Through education, encouragement, and a genuine commitment to community health, Ladie looks forward to helping individuals throughout BMH’s service area (Boone, Lincoln, Logan and Kanawha counties) take meaningful steps toward healthier lives. Dr. Samantha Shawley-Brzoska, Director of Population Health, and the rest of Boone Memorial Health are excited to have her leadership, experience, and passion guiding these important community health initiatives.
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