The Annual State of the Community was held by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce and included key updates on the next steps in Helene Recovery, healthcare, and the state of the chamber. Hosted Tuesday by The Beacon Restaurant, todays story focuses on the healthcare report. President and CEO of UNC Health Appalachian, Nathan Nipper spoke to a packed room to address that 80% of the hospital’s patients come from Watauga, Ashe and Avery counties. However, other patients are actually traveling to Boone from foreign countries to receive the kind of specialized care now provided by the hospital. Nipper went on to share that this happens in part due to a certain culture and rural mindset that must be maintained. “We want to grow our own future physicians, because we are used to a certain way and culture in the High Country, where being a rural hospital matters.”