KENTUCKY REGIONAL EXTENSION CENTER

Save the Date! Kentucky REC Annual Conference Oct 29!

Save the Date! Kentucky REC Annual Conference Oct 29!

Kentucky REC 2026 Annual Conference logo with intertwining ribbons and text: Kentucky REC Presents - Connecting our Healthcare Community: Improving Quality, Enhancing Security and Promoting Interoperability - October 29 Lexington KY and Online

Details and Registration Coming Soon!

During our day together we’ll discuss Quality Initiatives, HIPAA, Artificial Intelligence, and more to ensure that clinicians, hospital and ambulatory administrators, and clinic staff are well prepared for the challenges of modern healthcare.

Lexington, Kentucky – Join Us in Person or Online

Want to be PCMH recognized but don’t have the resources?

Graphic with three figures suggesting clinician and patient under a house shape with letters PCMH in bold suggesting the patient centered medical home program. Health Center Individualized Technical Assistance Program for PCMH Recognition

The Health Center Individualized Technical Assistance (TA) Program, funded by HRSA, offers personalized one-on-one support to HRSA-supported health centers and Look-Alikes that are not yet Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) recognized, but are ready to pursue this important credential. Through this program, health centers receive individualized guidance from NCQA PCMH Certified Content Experts (CCEs) to help navigate PCMH requirements and successfully achieve Recognition. CCEs are supported by HRSA funding for their work with participating centers.

According to NCQA, Patient-Centered Medical Home recognition research shows this program improves quality and patient experience, and increases staff satisfaction, while reducing health care costs. It can also prepare your organization for building the foundation for Value-Based Care. The NCQA PCMH program is the most widely adopted program in the United States and has more than 10,000 recognized practices.

Who Is Eligible?

Health centers must:

  • Be HRSA-supported or a Look-Alike
  • Not currently hold PCMH Recognition
  • Be prepared to begin the program within 45 days of approval

Participating centers are required to:

  • Submit an Interest Form to NCQA
  • Obtain an approved HRSA Notice of Intent (NOI)
  • Select a Certified Content Expert (CCE)

If your health center chooses to participate and is approved, then you may select a PCMH Certified Content Expert (CCE) of your choice to assist during the recognition process.

The PCMH Certified Content Expert (CCE) Will Provide These Support Services:

  • Clarify PCMH requirements
  • Conduct self-assessments and gap analyses
  • Develop an actionable plan for meeting PCMH standards
  • Support enrollment and milestone completion
  • Guide centers through NCQA tools and processes
  • Help achieve and celebrate PCMH Recognition

The Kentucky REC’s PCMH Team Lead, Vance Drakeford, may be selected as the CCE from the available options. Vance has assisted over 50 healthcare organizations, including FQHC’s to achieve PCMH recognition.

Take the next step in improving services to your patients as well as employee satisfaction!

Questions? For more information on how to begin this process, or further details, contact YOUR experts by email at KYRec@uky.edu or call us at 859-323-3090. We’re here to help.

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

Hybrid Event with Special Guest Speakers – In Person and Online

Oct. 23 2025, Lexington Kentucky, The Campbell House

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.

Free Tobacco Cessation Referral Program for Providers — Limited Enrollment

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.

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

Hybrid Event with Special Guest Speakers – In Person and Online

Oct. 23 2025, Lexington Kentucky, The Campbell House

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.

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

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.

*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!