KENTUCKY REGIONAL EXTENSION CENTER

Kentucky REC Annual Conference Oct 23 2025: Dr Tama Thé – The Promise of AI for Kentucky Healthcare

Kentucky REC Annual Conference Oct 23 2025: Dr Tama Thé – The Promise of AI for Kentucky Healthcare

Oct 20, 2025

Hybrid Event with Special Guest Speakers – In Person and Online

Oct. 23 2025, Lexington Kentucky, The Campbell House

REGISTER HERE
Trudi Matthews

Dreams of Data—The Promise of AI for Kentucky Healthcare

Speaker: Dr Tama Thé, MD, Assistant Professor – Department of Emergency Medicine, UK HealthCare 

Artificial intelligence is transforming medicine around the world. How can we make sure that Kentucky doesn’t get left behind? This presentation explores how we can harness AI to build a smarter, more connected healthcare system. We’ll look at how AI can improve diagnostic accuracy, reduce documentation burdens, and help address the physician shortage. We will highlight some of the innovative projects underway at UK HealthCare and get a peek of the broader vision driving the next wave of healthcare transformation.

Dr Tama Thé, MD

Tama Thé specializes in Pediatric Emergency Medicine and is an AI Research fellow with the National Board of Medical Examiners. He is leading AI initiatives both in healthcare at UKHC and across the state, as well as on the main campus at UK, and is the founder of the AI Incubator at the UK College of Medicine.

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

Register Today!

Visit Our Conference Page

Free Tobacco Cessation Referral Program for Providers — Limited Enrollment

Oct 17, 2025

A Healthier Kentucky Starts Here: Enroll in the Free Tobacco Cessation Referral Program

The Kentucky REC is partnering with the Kentucky Department of Public Health’s Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program to help providers connect their patients to free, evidence-based support to help them quit using tobacco. Through this partnership, Kentucky REC will assist clinicians in setting up electronic referrals to National Jewish Health (NJH) — the nation’s leading tobacco cessation program. There will be no cost to providers, and no interface connection is required. Your EHR simply needs to allow the addition of direct mail addresses.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Our team will guide participating organizations through every step, integrating the e-referral process into clinical workflows and providing monthly check-ins to:

  • Confirm electronic messages are successfully received by NJH
  • Strengthen workflows to improve referral rates and efficiency
  • Troubleshoot when referrals aren’t being completed or returned

This is a grant-sponsored opportunity, and participation is limited to the first four enrolled organizations.

Interested? Need more information? Contact us! Spaces will fill quickly.
 

CONTACT US

Kentucky REC Annual Conference Oct 23: HIE-Speed Ahead – Connecting Care Smarter

Oct 14, 2025

Hybrid Event with Special Guest Speakers – In Person and Online

Oct. 23 2025, Lexington Kentucky, The Campbell House

REGISTER HERE
Trudi Matthews

HIE-Speed Ahead: Connecting Care Smarter

Speaker: Andrew Bledsoe, Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services 

Get ready to accelerate into the future of health information technology! Andrew Bledsoe of the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services introduces KHIE’s new HIE system and its enhanced capabilities, designed to make data exchange faster, smarter, and more seamless than ever. We’ll explore how these upgrades improve care coordination, strengthen connections, and empower providers with the right information at the right time.

About Andrew Bledsoe, Deputy Inspector General, Office of Inspector General, Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services

The intersection of health information technology with quality care delivery has provided Andrew Bledsoe with a unique perspective over his two plus decades in healthcare. Starting his career in a regional hospital, he quickly learned the challenges in healthcare, especially rural medicine, and began investing in the concept of leveraging health information technology to improve outcomes for patients.

His current appointment as the Deputy Inspector General for the Office of the Inspector General within the Cabinet for Health and Family Services primarily focuses on implementing the KHIE Strategic and Operational Plan, promoting the statewide exchange of patient health information, spearheading a number of new services designed to improve care coordination, and offer new avenues to reduce reporting burdens and foster inter-agency collaboration.

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

Register Today!

Visit Our Conference Page

QPP Webinar Nov 11 – Conquering 2025 MIPS Attestation: A Simplified Guide

Oct 8, 2025

QPP 2025 Conquering 2025 MIPS Attestation: A Simplified Guide*
Webinar Date: November 11, 2025 @12pm

Join your Kentucky REC expert advisors as we provide education around preparing for submitting for the 2025 Quality Payment Program – Traditional MIPS & MVP Track attestations.

KEY TAKEAWAYS
• Demystifying the attestation process
• Documentation preparation
• Avoiding common submission pitfalls
• Leveraging technology
• Maximizing MIPS score

Interested in learning more about QPP, attend upcoming webinars, or learn how our advisors can assist your practice in maximizing performance in the QPP or other value-based care programs? As a client, you receive exclusive access to our analysis of all aspects of the Quality Payment Program. To speak with the team on how we can best support you, feel free to contact us HERE.

CONTACT US

*This webinar is for Kentucky REC contracted QPP clients only. If you are interested in this topic and would like to learn more about becoming a client, please contact us at (859) 323-3090 or email us at KYRec@uky.edu. We aim to be your trusted healthcare advisor!

Kentucky REC Annual Conference Oct 23: Elevating Quality & Value

Oct 2, 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

Elevating Quality and Value: Leading Teams into the Next Generation of Care

Speakers: Katie Carozza and Jessica Elliott,  Kentucky REC

The shift to value-based care is accelerating, driven by evolving payment models, rising patient expectations, and the increasing demand for data-driven, personalized care. We will discuss key challenges faced by today’s healthcare leaders and how vital steps taken now can pave the way to a successful future. Some of the elements required to transform healthcare include: forward-thinking leaders; organizations built on the foundations of high-reliability healthcare principles; strategic investment in technology; standardized processes; and empowered teams leading a culture of continuous improvement. This session will equip healthcare leaders with actionable strategies for sustainable success while maintaining our commitments to healthcare’s Quintuple Aim.

About KATIE CAROZZA

Katie Carozza is a seasoned public health and quality improvement expert with 10+ years of experience. A proud alumnus of Binghamton University, her career is dedicated to enhancing health promotion strategies and advancing quality in healthcare. Katie’s extensive background includes serving as a Clinical Program Manager at UK Healthcare and, most recently, as a Quality Improvement Advisor and Value-Based Programs Manager at the Kentucky Regional Extension Center. She is passionate about making a lasting impact on the health and well-being of individuals and communities.

About JESSICA ELLIOTT

Jessica Elliott is the Lead Practice Transformation & Quality Improvement Advisor at the Kentucky Regional Extension Center. Jessica is a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPPS) and a Certified Professional in Patient Safety (CPPS). She has over 19 years of healthcare experience, including expertise in quality improvement implementation science and regulatory policy analysis. Ms. Elliott partners with clinicians and healthcare organizations to design and implement strategies enhancing patient outcomes, optimizing care processes, and maximizing efficiencies in the transition to value-based care. Jessica also leads projects including HEDIS measure optimization and chronic disease grant initiatives focused on patient activation and linkages to community resources.

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

Elevating Quality and Value: Leading Teams into the Next Generation of Care

Speakers: Katie Carozza and Jessica Elliott,  Kentucky REC

The shift to value-based care is accelerating, driven by evolving payment models, rising patient expectations, and the increasing demand for data-driven, personalized care. We will discuss key challenges faced by today’s healthcare leaders and how vital steps taken now can pave the way to a successful future. Some of the elements required to transform healthcare include: forward-thinking leaders; organizations built on the foundations of high-reliability healthcare principles; strategic investment in technology; standardized processes; and empowered teams leading a culture of continuous improvement. This session will equip healthcare leaders with actionable strategies for sustainable success while maintaining our commitments to healthcare’s Quintuple Aim.

About KATIE CAROZZA

Katie Carozza is a seasoned public health and quality improvement expert with 10+ years of experience. A proud alumnus of Binghamton University, her career is dedicated to enhancing health promotion strategies and advancing quality in healthcare. Katie’s extensive background includes serving as a Clinical Program Manager at UK Healthcare and, most recently, as a Quality Improvement Advisor and Value-Based Programs Manager at the Kentucky Regional Extension Center. She is passionate about making a lasting impact on the health and well-being of individuals and communities.

About JESSICA ELLIOTT

Jessica Elliott is the Lead Practice Transformation & Quality Improvement Advisor at the Kentucky Regional Extension Center. Jessica is a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPPS) and a Certified Professional in Patient Safety (CPPS). She has over 19 years of healthcare experience, including expertise in quality improvement implementation science and regulatory policy analysis. Ms. Elliott partners with clinicians and healthcare organizations to design and implement strategies enhancing patient outcomes, optimizing care processes, and maximizing efficiencies in the transition to value-based care. Jessica also leads projects including HEDIS measure optimization and chronic disease grant initiatives focused on patient activation and linkages to community resources.

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

Register Today!

Visit Our Conference Page

Share Your Voice: MIPS MVP Adoption Survey

Sep 18, 2025

CMS wants to hear from you!

If you submitted Payment Year (PY) 2024 data to the Quality Payment Program (QPP)—whether through MIPS Value Pathways (MVPs), Traditional MIPS, or another reporting option—your feedback matters.

This is your opportunity to help shape the future of MIPS MVP reporting by sharing what’s working well and where improvements are needed.

Why Participate?
• Quick & easy: The survey takes about 15 minutes.
• Confidential: Responses are anonymous—results will never identify you or your organization.
• Valuable: Eligible clinicians may receive Improvement Activity (IA) credit for completing it.
• Impactful: Your insights directly influence the MIPS MVP experience moving forward.

Ready to Make a Difference?

Take the survey today:

MVP Adoption Survey

Questions? Contact: qppuserresearch@cms.hhs.gov

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