KENTUCKY REGIONAL EXTENSION CENTER

Kentucky REC Annual Conference Oct 26: Andrew Bledsoe on KHIE and SDOH

Kentucky REC Annual Conference Oct 26: Andrew Bledsoe on KHIE and SDOH

Hybrid Event with Special Guest Speakers – In Person and Virtual

Oct. 26 2023, Lexington Kentucky, Harper Hall

KHIE Featured Speaker: Andrew Bledsoe

Navigating Social Determinants of Health with KHIE

In this presentation, Andrew Bledsoe, Executive Director of the Kentucky Health Information Exchange (KHIE), will showcase the pivotal role that KHIE has in improving population health. With a focus on the strategic use of Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) capabilities, this session delves into the profound impact KHIE has on healthcare in Kentucky.

Gain valuable insights into KHIE’s cross-cabinet collaboration with kynect resources, exemplifying a strategic alliance dedicated to advancing the well-being of Kentuckians, including the essential steps that healthcare organizations can take to seamlessly integrate with KHIE and unlock the expansive array of resources accessible through kynect resources.

There will be dedicated time for attendees to provide feedback and suggestions, fostering a collaborative environment where your insights can contribute to the ongoing enhancement of SDoH and, in turn, elevate Kentucky’s overall population health.

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

Suicide Prevention Resources

Many new resources are now available to help prevent the tragic loss of suicide. To bring awareness to all these resources, September is now National Suicide Prevention Month. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is a new initiative to simplify access to help at times of crisis. It is available 24 hours per day, and the support offered is free of charge and confidential.

Visit the links below to access helpful resources and be prepared when someone is facing a mental health crisis.

CDC 2022 Suicide Report
Behavioral Health Community of Practice

Kentucky REC Annual Conference Oct 26: Trudi Matthews on SDOH

Hybrid Event with Special Guest Speakers – In Person and Virtual

Oct. 26 2023, Lexington Kentucky, Harper Hall

UK HealthCare Featured Speaker: Trudi Matthews

Social Drivers of Health – Strategies and Best Practices
for Implementation, Screening, and Follow-up

Trudi Matthews serves as Senior Director of Quality and Value Strategy 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.

Trudi formerly served as Director of Policy and Business Development with the Health Collaborative/HealthBridge. Between 2008-2014, Trudi served in leadership roles on a variety of grant-funded technology and quality improvement initiatives including Cincinnati’s Beacon Community Program, the Tri-State Regional Extension Center, RWJF-funded Aligning Forces for Quality, the Kentucky and Indiana State Health Information Exchange Programs, and the Nationwide Health Information Network, among other initiatives.

From 2005-2007, Trudi was Senior Policy Advisor with the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, where she served as coordinator for Kentucky’s statewide e-Health efforts and worked on Medicaid transformation initiatives. Trudi worked for the Council for State Governments from 1999-2005, where she was lead staff for its national health policy task force and oversaw a portfolio of health policy grants and programs for state legislators and executive branch officials. She began her career working for the Iowa Board of Medical Examiners.

Over her career, Trudi has managed more than $50 Million in grants and contracts aimed at improving health and health care through policy, technology and quality improvement.

In her presentation, Trudi will share useful resources and takeaways for healthcare practices small and large as they work to incorporate SDOH screening effectively in their patient care.

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

Kentucky REC Annual Conference Oct 26: Quality Presentation

Hybrid Event with Special Guest Speakers – In Person and Virtual

Oct. 26 2023, Lexington Kentucky, Harper Hall

Kentucky REC Quality Team Speakers: Jessica Elliott & Vance Drakeford

Balancing Cost & Quality: Strategies for Providing Safe and Efficient Care

Providing high quality care at low cost often seems impossible to achieve. However, research studies indicate that higher per beneficiary spending is NOT a predictor of improved long-term patient outcomes.

Through the Quality Payment Program, CMS has established Value in Healthcare as the sum of quality care and patient outcomes proportional to the total cost of care. Regardless of which track you elect to participate in as an eligible clinician or group in the Quality Payment Program, maximizing performance in the Quality and Cost Performance categories is vital for success.

Quality team lead Jessica Elliott, and colleague Vance Drakeford will explore the relationship between clinical quality performance and related cost measures. They will share how to navigate cost measure feedback from prior evaluation and apply QI principles to impact performance across categories.

 

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

QPP Webinar Oct 13: Interpreting QPP Feedback Reports

CMS has released the Quality Payment Program (QPP) Final Score & Performance Feedback Reports for the 2022 Performance Year, along with the MIPS Payment Adjustments for Payment Year 2024. Understanding your feedback reports, and using them to identify areas of improvement is key to optimizing your performance in this program year to year.

Our Kentucky REC expert advisors will guide you through the Feedback Report and explain how you can use this information to help you finish 2023 successfully and strategize for a strong start in 2024!

We will discuss how to navigate your feedback reports, help you understand payment adjustments, and provide you with insights to aid in identifying your opportunities and strengths across the four performance categories. We’ll also share how you can leverage that information to help you plan for continued success with this program in the future.

QPP Year 7: Interpreting QPP Feedback Reports*
Tuesday Oct 10, 2023 @ 12PM ET

*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 26: Guest Speaker Michael Meit – Rural Resilience

Hybrid Event with Special Guest Speakers – In Person and Virtual

Oct. 26 2023, Lexington Kentucky, Harper Hall

Guest Speaker: MICHAEL MEIT

Health Equity, Poverty, and Rural Resilience

Michael Meit, MA, MPH, Director, East Tennessee State University Center for Rural Health Research, will describe health inequities, and share what is known about them, including how they vary by geographic region.

He will present measures of rural prosperity that can help us to understand factors of risk and resilience in our rural communities. Michael will highlight rural strengths and assets that can be leveraged to improve community health and well-being.

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