Clark Regional Medical Center not only serves quality health care locally, but it’s also serving up local coffee.

CRMC announced its partnership with Creative Coffees Roastery Thursday as Creative Coffees and its distribution partner Positively Java handed out samples to staff, patients and visitors.

CRMC Chief Executive Officer Aphreikah DuHaney-West said CRMC is proud to partner with Creative Coffees.

“Before, we had a vendor that was outside of our community in our state, and we want to make sure we’re supporting local businesses,” DuHaney-West said. “And it’s great coffee.”

Debbie Hohman founded Creative Coffees Roastery, formerly School Spirit Coffee, in 2009. The business started out on Main Street before moving to the Industrial Park in 2015.

“That gave us the opportunity to go into restaurants … and that kind of thing, so we have a lot of restaurants in Winchester that carry our coffee,” Hohman said.

Hohman said this will be the roastery’s first partnership with a hospital.

“It really means a lot because usually these type of organizations are under contract with some of the large food bidders,” Hohman said.

Hohman said besides Murray State University, CRMC will be one of Creative Coffees’ largest accounts.

“Mainly, I want you to know it’s roasted fresh,” Hohman said of the coffee itself. “It’s not been sitting on a shelf somewhere for a couple of months and pulled off the shelf. We roast everything within a week of delivery, so and that makes a huge difference in coffee.”

Creative Coffees serves 100 percent Arabica Coffee and provides whole bean, ground K-cup varieties.

Jim Walters, owner of Positively Java, said Positively Java, a Madison County premium office coffee service, is providing the equipment and distribution for the partnership.

“We’ll install the equipment, and then pick up coffee at Creative Coffees every Wednesday, and then deliver it to our account so it’s that fresh,” Walters said.

Positively Java also donates about 10 percent of its revenue to support organizations working to make a difference in the lives of children.

DuHaney-West said the partnership has been in the works for a couple of months as CRMC’s contract with the outside vendor was coming to an end.

She said it was important for CRMC, as a local hospital, to support local businesses and organizations in all areas of its operations. She said she hopes other hospitals take note and others will follow the lead in supporting local businesses.

In the next few weeks, Creative Coffees will officially be the only coffee served inside CRMC, which means it will be available to all patients, staff and visitors.

“We’re just excited to partner with them, and hope to do more of this in the future with other vendors and companies locally,” DuHaney-West said.