Paducah, KY , Jan. 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lumera Healthcare, previously known as Emerald Therapy Center, today announced new leadership and a renewed vision to expand rural mental health services across Western Kentucky, including Paducah, Murray, and Mayfield. The behavioral health provider is advancing an integrated care model that brings psychiatry and psychotherapy together with outpatient addiction treatment, children’s services, targeted case management, technology, and evidence-informed innovations to improve outcomes and expand affordable access for individuals and families in the region.
Lumera Healthcare
Serving individuals and families throughout Western Kentucky, including Paducah, Murray, and Mayfield, Lumera Healthcare is growing its clinical team and streamlining access to care, helping patients connect with services sooner and remain engaged in treatment with fewer barriers. This expansion reflects a broader commitment to meet the rising behavioral health needs in underserved rural communities.
Inspired by lumen (“light”), Lumera Healthcare reflects the belief that care should help people rediscover the light within. The mission is clear: shine compassionate care into the places of trauma, addiction, anxiety, and loss, and guide each person toward a brighter future.
Local data highlights the urgency of this work. According to the Purchase Area District Health Department, mental health is the region’s leading health concern. Twenty-three percent of residents report difficulty accessing care, and one in three experience social isolation, a recognized risk factor for anxiety, depression, and substance use (source: Community Health Assessment, 2024).
“This is more than a name change,” said Manish Sood, CEO of Lumera Healthcare. “We’re improving outcomes and strengthening families, helping fathers in recovery reconnect at home, supporting new mothers in critical moments, and guiding teens as they process trauma and begin to hope again. That’s the power of connected care.”
Under Sood’s direction, Lumera Healthcare is moving decisively toward an integrated model, combining therapy, psychiatry, neuroscience-informed approaches, nutrition, medication management, targeted case management, and responsible use of AI/analytics to enhance access and continuity.
Janet James, Chief Operating & Compliance Officer, brings decades of leadership experience across hospitals and health systems, with a focus on building accessible rural care. Ron Kelley, MD, Chief Medical Officer, is a board-certified psychiatrist and former Chief of Psychiatry, U.S. Army Hospital, Fort Campbell. His deep commitment to mental health continues to guide Lumera’s patient-first approach.
Lumera Healthcare is expanding non-pharmacological and non-invasive psychiatric options, EMDR-driven psychotherapy, outpatient addiction recovery pathways, and food-as-medicine approaches to meet rising rural mental health needs with more complete, coordinated care.
With same-week intake, telehealth availability, evening IOP groups for addiction, and specialized childhood trauma and grief therapy, Lumera Healthcare continues to remove barriers to treatment while strengthening long-term support for individuals and families across Western Kentucky. Through collaboration, innovation, and expanded access, the organization is shaping a more connected and compassionate future for behavioral health in the region.
To learn more about Lumera Healthcare and its rural mental health services, call 270-310-9200 or visit www.lumerahealthcare.com.
About Lumera Healthcare
Lumera Healthcare is a behavioral health group serving Western Kentucky with locations in Paducah, Murray, and Mayfield (and additional sites coming soon). Services include therapy, psychiatry, addiction recovery, targeted case management, children, teen and family therapy. By combining compassionate care with medical expertise, Lumera helps each person take their next step toward being the Brightest You.
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Media Contact
Lumera Healthcare
Address: 2327 New Holt Road, Paducah, KY 42001
Phone: 270-534-5128 ext. 570
Website: www.lumerahealthcare.com
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