Apr 5, 2021
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.
Dec 4, 2018
Juniper Health, a Federally Qualified Health Center with four locations in Morgan, Wolfe, Lee, and Breathitt Counties in Southeastern Kentucky, has been named a 2018 Million Hearts Hypertension Control Champion. The practice shares this distinction with only 17 other practices around the nation, and is the sole state representative. Kentucky REC advisors have been honored to work with Juniper Health practice members on a Chronic Disease Pilot grant from The Kentucky Department of Public Health that focused on controlling high blood pressure and improving Diabetes: Hemoglobin A1c control. Juniper was a star performer on this grant and the only practice recognized in Kentucky as a Million Hearts Champion.
“We are excited to showcase successful strategies used by our 2018 Champions to keep blood pressure under safe control, prevent heart attacks and strokes, and save lives,” said Janet Wright, M.D., a board-certified cardiologist and executive director of Million Hearts®. “We hope that these Champions inspire teams all over the country to make hypertension control a priority.”
From the Million Hearts website:
The Million Hearts® Hypertension Control Challenge is a competition to identify practices, clinicians, and health systems that have worked with their patients to achieve hypertension control rates of at least 80% through innovations in health information technology and electronic health records, patient communication, and health care team approaches.
Congratulations, 2018 Champions!
Million Hearts® has recognized 18 health care practices and community health centers from around the United States as 2018 Hypertension Control Champions. In their work, these Champions were able to achieve blood pressure control for at least 80% of their adult patients with hypertension. Together, the 2018 Champions cared for more than 53,000 adults. Here is the list of all 18 Million Hearts 2018 Champions.
Contact Kentucky REC experts with your questions about quality improvement. We’re here to help your practice. Call us at 859-323-3090.
Jun 20, 2018
Excerpted and edited from an IU CHIIS article: In May 2017, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) challenged the nationwide Transforming Clinical Practice Initiatives (TCPI) Community to each submit at least two Patient and Family Engagement (PFE) Emerging Stories. 86 stories were submitted, and Great Lakes PTN was awarded as having one of the top 10!
Below are the highlights from GLPTN’s story:
Practice: Fayette Surgical Associates, Lexington, Kentucky, is a vascular surgical group that has provided care to the city of Lexington for over 30 years. They had over 20,000 active patients in their practice in 2017.
Patient and Family Engagement Intervention: Under the guidance of Kentucky REC Quality Improvement Advisor Kelly Fountain, Fayette Surgical Associates identified several areas for cost reduction and quality improvement through data analysis and the use of patient surveys.
Impact: Visit length increased, which improved patient satisfaction and increased the amount of time that patients and clinicians are able to spend with each other. The practice also decreased unnecessary Emergency Department visits by prioritizing post surgery follow-ups. Fayette Surgical also: improved comprehension by simplifying their written handouts to patients; increased usage of their patient portal; and reduced costs.
You can read the original CHIIS GLPTN article here.
Pictured above: GLPTN QIA, Kelly Fountain, Kentucky REC, with the award for Fayette Surgical Associates
Pictured above: Dr. Adkins and Care Team members, Fayette Surgical Associates
Need help with the Quality Payment Program? Contact our Quality Improvement and Practice Transformation experts at Kentucky REC by calling us at 859-323-3090.
Sep 19, 2017
We are pleased to announce that UK HealthCare Kentucky Regional Extension Center’s Executive Director, Rob Edwards, has been awarded the Centerstone Healthcare Advocacy Award, part of the 2017 MediStar Awards presented by IGE Media.
The Centerstone Healthcare Advocacy Award is presented to an individual or organization that has worked to raise awareness of health challenges in our region and worked to affect change.
Since 20017, IGE Media, publisher of Medical News, has recognized excellence in the business of healthcare at the exclusive MediStar Awards, which honors seven healthcare professionals for their achievement in advocacy, innovation, education, leadership, aging care, as well as announces the physician and nurse of the year.
Congratulations to Rob for this excellent honor!
Aug 1, 2017
We are pleased to announce that UK HealthCare Kentucky Regional Extension Center’s Executive Director, Rob Edwards, has been nominated for the Centerstone Healthcare Advocacy Award, part of the 2017 MediStar Awards presented by IGE Media.
The Centerstone Healthcare Advocacy Award is presented to an individual or organization that has worked to raise awareness of health challenges in our region and worked to affect change.
Since 20017, IGE Media, publisher of Medical News, has recognized excellence in the business of healthcare at the exclusive MediStar Awards, which honors seven healthcare professionals for their achievement in advocacy, innovation, education, leadership, aging care, as well as announces the physician and nurse of the year.
Congratulations to Rob for this excellent honor!
See the full list of nominees here.
Aug 10, 2015
Kentucky REC has been selected as the honoree for the 2015 A.O. Sullivan Award for Excellence in Education presented to an organization that takes creative approaches to developing and implementing programs, which enhance the level of knowledge, education and career opportunity in healthcare.
Since 2007 IGE Media, publisher of Medical News and Medical News For You, has recognized excellence in the business of healthcare at the exclusive MediStar Awards, which honors eight healthcare professionals for their achievements in advocacy, innovation, education, leadership, design, aging care, as well as announces the Physician and Nurse of the Year award. For more information about MediStar Awards, click here.
We are honored to receive this MediStar Award and join this elite group of healthcare leaders.
View 2015 MediStar Honorees here.
