KENTUCKY REGIONAL EXTENSION CENTER

Kentucky REC Annual Conference Oct 23: Hospital Promoting Interoperability and Quality Reporting

Kentucky REC Annual Conference Oct 23: Hospital Promoting Interoperability and Quality Reporting

Aug 11, 2025

Hybrid Event with Special Guest Speakers – In Person and Online

Oct. 23 2025, Lexington Kentucky, The Campbell House

REGISTER HERE
Trudi Matthews
Trudi Matthews

Hospital Promoting Interoperability and Quality Reporting

Speakers: Kristina Stolitca and Robin Curnel,  Kentucky REC

Kentucky REC expert advisors Kristina Stolitca and Robin Curnel will share an overview of the Medicare Promoting Interoperability (PI) Program for Eligible Hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals, along with a discussion of Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project for Critical Access Hospitals. This session will provide a detailed review of the 2025 program requirements, including reporting periods, objectives, and measures.

They will also highlight key updates from the recently released FY 2026 Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) Final Rule, with a focus on changes impacting PI program participation and compliance. For MBQIP they will discuss a recent project with the Kentucky Office of Rural Health.

About Kristina Stolitca

Kristina Stolitca is a Health Information Technology Advisor at the Kentucky Regional Extension Center (KY REC), where she has served for nearly 15 years. In this role, she supports hospitals across Kentucky participating in the Medicare Promoting Interoperability (PI) Program, offering expert guidance on regulatory compliance, EHR reporting, and program attestation.

Kristina works directly with hospital staff and executives to assess performance, deliver strategic coaching, and provide hands-on support throughout the program year. She develops tools and resources to help organizations navigate evolving CMS requirements, translating complex federal mandates into clear, actionable guidance.

Her long-standing work at KY REC reflects a deep commitment to improving health IT outcomes for hospitals throughout the Commonwealth.

About Robin Curnel

Robin Curnel is a Health IT and Practice Transformation Advisor and has been with the Kentucky REC for nearly 9 years. She received her Bachelors of Science in Nursing at Murray State University and her Masters in Science in Nursing Management and Leadership from University of Southern Indiana – Evansville. Robin has more than 30 years of nursing experience in rural healthcare and hospital services ranging from bedside nursing in several patient care areas up to senior management.

With the Kentucky REC, Robin uses her clinical knowledge and background to provide detailed technical assistance to eligible providers in Medicare’s Promoting Interoperability Program and Quality Payment Program, assistance with quality improvement methodology implementation, practice transformation, and expertise in Telehealth implementation.

Questions? Contact us at Kentucky REC or call us at 859-323-3090.

Register Today!

Hospital Promoting Interoperability and Quality Reporting

Speakers: Kristina Stolitca and Robin Curnel,  Kentucky REC

Kentucky REC expert advisors Kristina Stolitca and Robin Curnel will share an overview of the Medicare Promoting Interoperability (PI) Program for Eligible Hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals, along with a discussion of Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project for Critical Access Hospitals. This session will provide a detailed review of the 2025 program requirements, including reporting periods, objectives, and measures.

They will also highlight key updates from the recently released FY 2026 Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) Final Rule, with a focus on changes impacting PI program participation and compliance. For MBQIP they will discuss a recent project with the Kentucky Office of Rural Health.

About Kristina Stolitca

Kristina Stolitca is a Health Information Technology Advisor at the Kentucky Regional Extension Center (KY REC), where she has served for nearly 15 years. In this role, she supports hospitals across Kentucky participating in the Medicare Promoting Interoperability (PI) Program, offering expert guidance on regulatory compliance, EHR reporting, and program attestation.

Kristina works directly with hospital staff and executives to assess performance, deliver strategic coaching, and provide hands-on support throughout the program year. She develops tools and resources to help organizations navigate evolving CMS requirements, translating complex federal mandates into clear, actionable guidance.

Her long-standing work at KY REC reflects a deep commitment to improving health IT outcomes for hospitals throughout the Commonwealth.

About Robin Curnel

Robin Curnel is a Health IT and Practice Transformation Advisor and has been with the Kentucky REC for nearly 9 years. She received her Bachelors of Science in Nursing at Murray State University and her Masters in Science in Nursing Management and Leadership from University of Southern Indiana – Evansville. Robin has more than 30 years of nursing experience in rural healthcare and hospital services ranging from bedside nursing in several patient care areas up to senior management.

With the Kentucky REC, Robin uses her clinical knowledge and background to provide detailed technical assistance to eligible providers in Medicare’s Promoting Interoperability Program and Quality Payment Program, assistance with quality improvement methodology implementation, practice transformation, and expertise in Telehealth implementation.

Questions? Contact us at Kentucky REC or call us at 859-323-3090.

Register Today!

Visit Our Conference Page

Kentucky REC Annual Conference Oct 23: Advancing Kentucky Together – Trudi Matthews

Jul 10, 2025

Hybrid Event with Special Guest Speakers – In Person and Online

Oct. 23 2025, Lexington Kentucky, The Campbell House

REGISTER HERE
Trudi Matthews

ADVANCING KENTUCKY TOGETHER & LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

Speaker: Trudi Matthews,  UK HEalthcare 

For more than two decades, the University of Kentucky and its hospital, UK HealthCare, has established and worked with affiliates — hospitals, clinics and providers — across the state to open greater access to specialty care, such as cancer, heart disease and stroke.

During the October 2024 UK Board of Trustees retreat, the Board directed President Capilouto to build on our momentum and take the next critical steps in our mission to advance the wellbeing of our Commonwealth. We are focusing the institution’s capacity and strategic efforts on becoming the university that — along with partners — does more than anyone in the country to improve the health of the state it serves.

The Advancing Kentucky Together Network takes that affiliate model a step further. The Advancing Kentucky Together Network is the next evolution of our partnership model and expands our efforts to address dramatically growing health, education and workforce needs across the state.

About Trudi Matthews

Trudi Matthews serves as Chief of Value Based Programs, Public Policy and Community Initiatives in the Office of the Executive Vice President for Health Affairs at UK HealthCare, the health system of the University of Kentucky (UK). In this role, Trudi works with UK HealthCare’s executive team and ambulatory leadership to ensure success in value-based programs for Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial insurers. Trudi also serves as government affairs and policy lead for UK HealthCare overseeing a team responsible for reviewing and analyzing state and federal government policy initiatives.

Trudi is also Executive Director of the Kentucky Regional Extension Center (REC) at UK. Trudi oversees this state-wide center charged with assisting health care leaders, practices, and hospitals across Kentucky with using technology, connectivity, process improvement and value-based care models to improve the quality and value of health care. From 2015-2019, she was Managing Director of the Kentucky REC, leading and supporting multiple externally sponsored projects such as Kentucky’s Practice Transformation Network Grant, Medicaid Meaningful Use/Promoting Interoperability Support, and several CDC-funded projects with the Kentucky Department for Public Health.

Questions? Contact us at Kentucky REC or call us at 859-323-3090.

Register Today!

Visit Our Conference Page

KHIE Launching New Technology Platform in 2025

Jul 7, 2025

KHIE Transitioning All Participating Organizations to New Technology Platform in 2025

As part of its ongoing mission to build a healthier Kentucky, the Kentucky Health Information Exchange (KHIE) is transitioning all participating organizations to a new technology platform in 2025. This move is made possible through a partnership with CRISP Shared Services (CSS)—a nationally recognized leader in health information technology and data exchange.

This transition is a strategic step to ensure long-term sustainability while continuing to offer innovative tools and services at no cost to KHIE participants. By leveraging CSS’s advanced infrastructure and shared services model, KHIE will be able to enhance functionality, improve efficiency, and scale to meet the growing needs of healthcare providers across the Commonwealth.

WHAT TO EXPECT

    • The platform transition, which began in spring 2025, will continue through the end of the year
    • No disruption to services or data access is anticipated during this period
    • Participants will receive hands-on support throughout the transition, at no cost

KHIE is committed to keeping participants informed every step of the way. They are engaging directly with healthcare organizations to provide personalized guidance. If you have questions about the onboarding process, timelines, or technical details, contact your designated KHIE outreach coordinator.

Stay tuned for more updates as KHIE moves forward with this exciting advancement—keeping Kentucky’s healthcare connected, innovative, and prepared for the future. Together with KHIE, the Kentucky Regional Extension Center is here to ensure a smooth and successful transition for all providers across the state.

Kentucky REC is here for you. To speak with the team on how we can best support you, feel free to contact us HERE or call us at 859-323-3090.

CONTACT US

 

 

Registration Open! Kentucky REC Annual Conference Oct 23

Apr 11, 2025

The Campbell House, Lexington, Kentucky – Join Us in Person or Online

Join us for an engaging day where we share essential topics shaping healthcare today and into the future. Our agenda includes in depth discussions of Quality Initiatives, HIPAA, Hospital Promoting Interoperability, and more.

Whether you’re a clinician, administrator, or a member of healthcare staff, this event is tailored to equip you with the insights and knowledge needed to navigate the complexities of modern healthcare.

Guest speakers will join us to present on relevant topics. Details and Agenda coming soon!

Register Today

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

HIPAA Security Rule Gets a Makeover: Let’s Break it Down – Watch Now!

Mar 27, 2025

Public Webinar Available Now: HIPAA Security Rule Gets a Makeover – Let’s Break it Down

 

REGISTER and VIEW WEBINAR HERE

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to Strengthen Cybersecurity for Electronic Protected Health Information (NPRM) on Jan 6, 2025. This will be the first major update to the HIPAA Security Rule since the HIPAA Omnibus Rule in 2013.

These proposed changes bring about new requirements, including:

  • Vulnerability scanning
  • Penetration testing
  • Patch management
  • Network segmentation
  • Data backup testing
  • Multi-factor authentication
  • Security incident planning and testing
  • HIPAA compliance audits
  • Business associate delegation
  • Guidelines for ongoing maintenance


This webinar provides an overview of the proposed changes and expected timelines for regulated entities to meet compliance with the new rule. The proposed rule seeks to strengthen cybersecurity by updating the Security Rule’s standards to better address ever-increasing cybersecurity threats to the health care sector. While the Department is undertaking this rulemaking, the current Security Rule remains in effect.

For more information about the proposed rule for HIPAA Security, please follow the links below:

Fact Sheet: “HIPAA Security Rule Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to Strengthen Cybersecurity for Electronic Protected Health Information”

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) – “HIPAA Security Rule To Strengthen the Cybersecurity of Electronic Protected Health Information”

CONTACT US

Contact the experts at Kentucky REC with all your HIPAA Privacy and Security questions. We’re here to help: 859-323-3090.

 

Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program – Data Submission Window Open

Jan 24, 2025

The Hospital Quality Reporting (HQR) System is now open and accepting calendar year 2024 Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program data submissions and attestations from eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals.

The data submission deadline for the CY 2024 requirements, including eCQM data, has been changed from February 28, 2025 to Friday, March 14, 2025.

As a reminder, hospitals are required to:

  • Report data using the ONC Health Information Technology certification criteria to meet the certified electronic health record technology (CEHRT) requirement. Get your ID # from the Certified Health IT Product List (CHPL).
  • Successfully submit four calendar quarters of data for six eCQMs:
    • Three self-selected eCQMs from the CY 2024 Available eCQMs Table
    • Three CMS-selected eCQMs: Safe Use of Opioids-Concurrent Prescribing, Cesarean Birth (PC-02), and Severe Obstetric Complications (PC-07)
  • Submit web-based measure data for any continuous, self-selected 180-day EHR period within the calendar year.

Note: Failure to report at least a “1” for all required measures with a numerator or reporting a “No” for a Yes/No response measure will result in a total score of 0 points for the Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program.

  • Earn a minimum total score of 60 points
  • Complete the following requirements by attesting “Yes” to both
    • Acting to Limit or Restrict the Compatibility or Interoperability of CEHRT
    • ONC Direct Review
  • Complete the following measures under the Protect Patient Health Information Objective by attesting “Yes” to both
    • SAFER Guides
    • Security Risk Analysis
  • Submit data for the following measures under each objective below:
    • Electronic Prescribing Objective
      • e-Prescribing
      • Query of Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP)
    • Health Information Exchange Objective (Participants must select one of the three reporting options below)
      • Report on both the Support Electronic Referral Loops by Sending Health Information measure and the Support Electronic Referral Loops by Receiving and Reconciling Health Information OR Report on the Health Information Exchange (HIE) Bi-Directional Exchange OR Report on the Enabling Exchange Under the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA)
    • Provider to Patient Exchange Objective
      • Provide Patients Electronic Access to Their Health Information
    • Public Health and Clinical Data Exchange (A level of active engagement is required for each measure below)
      • Syndromic Surveillance Reporting
      • Immunization Registry Reporting
      • Electronic Case Reporting
      • Electronic Reportable Laboratory Result Reporting
      • Antimicrobial Use and Resistance (AUR) Surveillance
    • Voluntarily submit data for the following optional measures/requirements  (Select One):
      • Clinical Data Registry Reporting
      • Public Health Registry Reporting

Contact YOUR experts at Kentucky REC with all your QPP, MIPS/MVP, and APM Track questions. We’re here to help: 859-323-3090.

 

 

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