Happy Holidays from Kentucky REC
SEASONS GREETINGS
QPP Webinar Dec 16: CMS 2026 Final Rule
QPP 2026 PFS & QPP Final Rule*
Webinar Date: December 16, 2025 @12pm
CMS released the highly anticipated 2026 Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) Final Rule on Nov 3rd — and the changes are significant.
From new Quality Payment Program (QPP) requirements to critical updates impacting MIPS Value Pathways (MVPs) and Alternative Payment Models (APMs), eligible clinicians will see meaningful shifts in reporting, participation, and performance expectations.
One of the most notable updates is the introduction of the new Ambulatory Specialty Model (ASM)—inclusion of specialists in outpatient and ambulatory care settings. ASM is designed to expand value-based care opportunities, improve quality measurement alignment for specialists, and offer new pathways to succeed in advanced payment arrangements.
OUR TEAM OF EXPERTS WILL WALK YOU THROUGH:
• Key QPP updates every organization must understand
• What’s changing within MVPs and APM participation
• How the Ambulatory Specialty Model will affect specialists and reporting options
• Action steps to prepare for 2026
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!
Kentucky REC Annual Conference Oct 23 2025: Dr Tama Thé – The Promise of AI for Kentucky Healthcare
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
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!
