KENTUCKY REGIONAL EXTENSION CENTER

Kentucky REC 2023 Premier Partner – Kentucky DPH

Kentucky REC 2023 Premier Partner – Kentucky DPH

Kentucky REC Premier Partner Award: Kentucky Department for Public Health

The Kentucky Department for Public Health, and Sue Thomas-Cox especially, has had a long, successful history of collaboration with the Kentucky REC. Together we support technology innovation, performance improvement and health care transformation for health care systems and organizations across Kentucky.

Our most recent partnership to improve chronic disease outcomes would not have been possible without the confidence, trust and mutual respect between the Kentucky Department for Public Health and the Kentucky REC. Kentucky REC currently works with the Department for Public Health on numerous grant projects including Colorectal Cancer, Heart Disease and Stroke, Diabetes Management, Diabetes Prevention, Asthma, and Community Health Workers. Each of these projects strive to improve health outcomes and address barriers for patients in Kentucky.

Sue Thomas Cox is the BRANCH MANAGER of the CHRONIC DISEASE PREVENTION/HEALTH PROMOTION, Kentucky Department for Public Health, Division of Prevention and Quality Improvement. She has been instrumental in the success of all of our work with DPH. Congratulations to the Kentucky Department for Public Health as our Premier Partner!

Kentucky REC 2023 Client Quality Awards

Kentucky REC advisors are proud to work with many organizations on quality improvement programs and initiatives such as the Quality Payment Program and Patient Centered Medical Home and Specialty Practice. Awardees were chosen by their advisor team and presentations were made at our Annual Conference. We awarded the following organizations in 2023 for their exemplary performance.

The Heart of the Patient Award: Excellent Dedication to Patient-Centric Care

The Heart of the Patient Award:  Excellent Dedication to Patient-Centric Care & the Patient-Centered Medical Home – Little Flower Clinic

Little Flower Clinic achieved initial PCMH recognition in 2017 with the Kentucky REC’s assistance from one of our PCMH Certified Content Experts (PCMH CCE).  Since then they have provided high-quality patient-centered care for their community; while realizing improved health outcomes and workflow efficiencies for their patients and staff.

This past Spring they completed and passed their Annual Reporting requirements and received the NCQA Distinction in Behavioral Health. This distinction assists Primary Care practices to better integrate behavioral healthcare into their organization and acknowledges organizations that excel in this area.

Not only did Little Flower Clinic accomplish all of the previous mentioned accolades, but they also underwent an NCQA audit, passing with flying colors, while dealing with the devastating flood in their area. During that time, Little Flower Clinic had several staff members’ homes destroyed, with no electric or phone service for a period of time, and they continued to provide for their patients and community with food, water, clothing and hygiene items.

The Kentucky REC would like to recognize and award Little Flower Clinic with the PCMH client award for their work in the PCMH model of care and extraordinary commitment to their patients.

 

Outstanding Achievement Award: Commitment to Quality Improvement & QPP-MIPS

J. David Outland’s practice is a single provider dermatology clinic in Western Kentucky that has submitted to the Quality Payment Program as a MIPS Eligible Clinician since the inception of the program.

Dr. Outland’s staff first began participation in the QPP through the use of claims submission. As the program requirements changed and became increasingly more complex, Dr. Outland contacted the Kentucky Regional Extension Center for assistance in navigating this complexity. Dr. Outland and his staff have successfully navigated the program using a registry and without the use of an electronic health record system.

The practice continues to achieve a perfect score each year and receives the maximum payment adjustment available. We believe that recognizing this practice for the hard work required to assure data entered into the registry is accurate, validated and meets his practice goals is important and their work is exemplary.

The efforts of Dr. Outland and his staff proves that other clinics of similar size and settings can be successful in avoiding payment reductions while also complying with CMS’s reporting requirements for the Quality Payment Program.

The Kentucky REC would like to recognize and award J. David Outland with the QPP-MIPS IA Small Practice award for their steadfast work in Quality Improvement and the QPP/MIPS track, and their overwhelming commitment to their community and patients.

 

Kentucky REC 2023 Client HIPAA Awards

Kentucky REC HIPAA Security advisors are proud to work with many organizations on compliance with the HIPAA Privacy Rule. Awardees were chosen by the HIPAA advisor team and presentations were made at our Annual Conference. Below are the organizations chosen in 2023 for their exemplary performance.

5 Star HIPAA Security Excellence Award - Large Organization

Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center consistently demonstrates excellence in upholding the HIPAA Security Rule, prioritizing the protection of their patient’s health information. With a steadfast dedication to enhancing security compliance, EMRMC conducts annual security risk assessments, promptly addresses identified vulnerabilities, and reinforces safeguards as needed.

The compliance team diligently develops, implements, and provides training on new policies and procedures whenever necessary. Collaborating seamlessly, the IT and Compliance teams at EMRMC remain vigilant in monitoring the organization’s existing security measures while actively researching and adopting improved solutions. The commitment to security is deeply ingrained in EMRMC’s culture, evident throughout its extensive network of facilities, encompassing three hospitals and over 20 clinics.

 

5 Star HIPAA Security Excellence Award - Small Organization

Health First Community Health Center consistently demonstrates an exceptional commitment to safeguarding their patients’ electronic protected health information, surpassing industry standards.

During annual security risk assessments, the team at Health First consistently challenges themselves with the question, “How can we enhance our practices further?” Their security risk management team diligently provides comprehensive documentation for all required safeguards directed by the HIPAA Security Rule. Furthermore, they actively involve their workforce and leadership team in continuous security training initiatives, including engaging in a CISA-led tabletop exercise focused on cybersecurity attacks.

It is remarkable to hear clients express anticipation for the Security Risk Assessment (SRA) every year, and Health First’s team consistently shares their excitement, eagerly showcasing the improvements they have made since year after year. Their genuine enthusiasm for learning about HIPAA Security is commendable, setting them apart in their dedication to staying ahead of evolving security measures.

 

5 Star HIPAA Security Excellence Award

 

Kentucky REC 2023 Client Hospital Awards

Kentucky REC advisors are proud to work with numerous Kentucky hospitals on the CMS Promoting Interoperability Program. Awardees were chosen by the advisor team and presentations were made at our Annual Conference. Below are the organizations chosen in 2023 for their exemplary performance.

Distinguished Large Hospital System Award - ARH

The Healthcare System of Appalachia, ARH is ranked as one of the Top 10 Employers in Kentucky by Forbes Magazine. They are a not-for-profit health system operating 14 hospitals: Barbourville, Hazard, Harlan, Highlands, Mary Breckinridge, McDowell, Middlesboro, Morgan, Our Lady of the Way, Paintsville, Summers County, Tug Valley, and Whitesburg in Kentucky; as well as Beckley in West Virginia.

We began advising ARH on the Medicare PI Program at the beginning of 2021. We scheduled regular, recurring calls for the PI team and dug into the work- providing education, drilling-down on program details, and monitoring reports. We’ve watched them work together as a team and improve their performance tremendously. We’re proud to report that for the past two years, ARH has successfully attested to the Medicare PI program for all 14 hospitals. This year, they are on track to do the same with near perfect scores. We are so proud of them, their performance, and their teamwork! Congratulations, ARH!

Hospital Legacy Award - Russell County Hospital

Russell County Hospital is a twenty-five-bed community hospital that has served the residents of Russell Springs, KY and surrounding areas since 1981. We have worked with RCH since the inception of the Kentucky REC in early 2011, advising them on what was then the original EHR Incentive Program, when we used to call it Meaningful Use. We began that original work under a grant from the Office of the National Coordinator. When we transitioned over to a sustainable model, they stuck with us. Over the past 12 plus years, RCH has used nearly every service offering provided by the Kentucky REC, from MU to PI, SRA, PTN, VBPS, MIPS and every acronym in between. We enjoy working with the RCH group – they are a really great team. We appreciate our relationship and hope to work together for another 12 years. To show our appreciation we are awarding them with the KY REC Client Hospital Legacy Award. Congratulations Russell County Hospital!

 

Multi-State Hospital Partnership Award - Rural Hospital Group

Rural Hospital Group is in the business of investing in small-to-medium sized rural hospitals located primarily in less populated and more remote areas of the Central United States. This is where rural hospitals are usually the sole provider of emergency, acute care inpatient and outpatient clinic services to their communities.

While we have advised Crittenden Community Hospital in Marion, KY on the Medicare PI Program for many years, at the beginning of 2022 we added several other RHG facilities: Hillsboro Community Hospital in Hillsboro, Kansas; Lauderdale Community Hospital in Ripley, Tennessee; Drumright Regional Hospital in Drumright, Oklahoma; and Salem Memorial District Hospital in Salem, Missouri. Some were struggling to keep up with the ever-evolving requirements of the Medicare PI Program and were also reaching the program’s limit of allowable hardship exceptions at some locations. We’ve provided education and support, getting them back on track. We host a monthly conference call, bringing together the Promoting Interoperability team from each location.

This Community of Practice, bringing together multiple states, is acting as a collaborative environment to communicate, connect, and share best practices. As a result, all five hospitals have greatly improved their performance and successfully attested to the Medicare PI program. We’ve enjoyed crossing state lines and value this multi-state partnership and are very proud of their accomplishments! Congratulations, Rural Hospital Group!

Register Today! Oct 26 – Kentucky REC Annual Conference

2023 Annual Meeting
Lexington, Kentucky – Join Us in Person or Online

During our day together we’ll discuss quality initiatives, HIPAA, Social Drivers of Health, and more to ensure that clinicians, hospital and ambulatory administrators, and clinic staff are well prepared for the challenges of modern healthcare. Guest speakers will be joining us to present on relevant topics.

Keynote Speaker: Astronaut and UK College of Medicine Alum Story Musgrave!

About Story Musgrave

Attend the 2023 Annual Conference

About Story Musgrave

Attend the 2023 Annual Conference

Questions? Contact the Kentucky REC Annual Conference Team at Kentucky REC. 859-323-3090.

KENTUCKY DIABETES LEARNING COLLABORATIVE AWARD ANNOUNCEMENT

Kentucky Diabetes Learning Collaborative
Award Announcement

UK Healthcare’s Kentucky Regional Extension Center, the Kentucky Department of Public Health, and the Kentucky Diabetes Prevention and Control Program are pleased to announce chosen practices to participate in the year-long Kentucky Diabetes Learning Collaborative (DLC) funded by a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The grant focus is to improve diabetes clinical outcomes.

Selected participants:
• Bluegrass Internal Medicine – Owensboro, Kentucky
• Grace Health – Corbin, Kentucky
• HMH Primary Care – Cynthiana, Kentucky
• Kentucky Mountain Health Alliance (Little Flower Clinic) – Hazard, Kentucky
• Monroe County Medical Center – Tompkinsville, KY
• Owensboro Health – Owensboro, Kentucky
• Shawnee Christian Healthcare – Louisville, Kentucky

These practices represent over 19 health care locations, 73 health care providers, and over 6,000 adult patients with diabetes.

The goal of the Diabetes Learning Collaborative is to assist health care organizations in making “breakthrough” increases in the adoption and use of clinical systems and care practices to improve health outcomes in people with diabetes.

Targeted clinical outcomes will include improvement in glycemic and blood pressure control. Targeted clinical system changes will include clinical decision support within the electronic health record (EHR) for Diabetes Self-management Education and Support (DSMES) referral, the establishment of bi-directional referral processes with DSMES providers, and other evidence-based care practices. Clinical participants will track referrals for DSMES, A1C and blood pressure values, and other clinical measures selected by participating practices.

The structure for this collaborative learning will be based on the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Breakthrough Series. At the heart of this approach are three models. The Learning Model makes participating practices part of a network of experts and fellow-learners. The Chronic Care Model, (developed by Ed Wagner MD, MPH, and former Director of the MacColl Institute for Healthcare Innovation), outlines all the elements of good chronic care. The Model for Improvement enables teams to rapidly test and implement changes to improve care.

Starting in May 2021, participants will join in conference calls, in person meetings, peer site visits, hands on technical assistance, and webinars with experts and other organizations in the collaborative.

Please join us in congratulating these practices for being selected to participate in this innovative project to improve the health of Kentucky residents.