Annual health-policy forum Oct. 8 in Frankfort will focus on how a civic engagement approach can change health outcomes in Ky.

By Melissa Patrick
Kentucky Health News

What if the way to improving the health of Kentuckians is to create a culture where every person shares the same goal? That will be the focus of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky's 2024 Howard L. Bost Memorial Health Policy Forum, to be held at the Kentucky Historical Society, 100 West Broadway Street, Frankfort from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET Oct. 8.

The forum, titled "Finding Common Ground on our Path to Better Health," will look at how to unite the state around a shared goal of addressing unmet health needs. The event is free, but reservations are required. To register, click here.

"Kentucky is consistently ranked as one of the unhealthier states in the country, despite the efforts by a dedicated few to improve the well-being of our communities," according to a news release for the event. "To make real progress, every single Kentuckian will need to play their part because we are stronger together."

Kentucky has been ranked among the bottom 10 states in health status since the America's Health Rankings began in 1990, except in 2008, when it ranked 39th. In 2023, Kentucky ranked No. 41.

The forum will host national and local experts who will talk about how to more authentically engage community members and find common ground on the path toward better health.

The sessions include:

• Enough, Time to Build: How Communities Can Forge a Civic Path Forward: Rich Harwood, president and founder of The Harwood Institute, will talk about that the way forward is a new civic path, not more divisive politics.
• Philanthropy + Democracy: Centering Humanity: Joy Ossei-Anto, managing director of Funder Engagement, Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement will explore the role philanthropy can play in ensuring democracy is larger than politics and that humanity is centered.
• Moving from Ally to Advocate: A Call to Action: Colene Elridge, CEO of Be More Consulting, will delve into the critical journey from allyship to advocacy within healthcare policy.

The annual forum was created in memory of Dr. Howard L. Bost, a notable health economist and founding member of the foundation's board of directors. The forum aims to raise awareness of the health issues impacting Kentuckians and highlight model strategies and policy opportunities to improve Kentucky’s health. It welcomes a range of audiences from inside and outside the health industry, including health care advocates, providers and educators, business professionals, civic leaders, policy makers and more.

Remote Area Medical to offer free medical services, inlcuding dental and vision care, at clinic near Hazard Saturday and Sunday

Kentucky Health News

Remote Area Medical, a nonprofit group that provides free medical care, including dental and vision care, will hold a clinic Saturday and Sunday at East Perry Elementary School, 301 Perry Circle Road, Hazard, in collaboration with the University of Kentucky Center for Excellence in Rural Health.

The clinic will be open from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, 6 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Sunday. The patient parking lot will open no later than 11:59 p.m. Friday night, June 7, and remain open. As patients arrive at the parking lot, they will be given information about the clinic.

Patients should be prepared with their own food, water, medicines, and clothing when arriving early. Bathrooms will be provided.

Health services are provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Due to time constraints, attendees should be prepared to choose between detal and vision services. Medical services are offered to every patient. All services are free and open to the public. No identification is required.

Given the possibility of inclement weather, volunteer cancellations, or other circumstances outside of RAM’s control, RAM encourages everyone who would like services, especially dental services, to arrive as early as possible. The clinic closing time may vary based on each service area’s daily capacity. Please check RAM’s clinic FAQ page for more information.

UK College of Dentistry faculty, residents, and dental students will provide serves including dental exams and cleanings, fillings, and extractions. The college has previously supported the dental care needs of Kentuckians at other RAM event locations, including Mayfield, Hazard, and Bowling Green.

Founded in 1985, RAM has treated more than 940,000 individuals with $200 million worth of free health-care services. More than 212,000 volunteers – licensed dental, vision, medical and veterinary professionals, as well as general support staff – have supported RAM’s mission.

Food-as-medicine effort at UK gets a boost from new endowment

Alison Gustafson (UK photo by Sabrina Hounshell)

By Christopher Carney

University of Kentucky

One of the first two Gatton Foundation endowed professors at the University of Kentucky is Alison Gustafson, who directs the Food as Health Alliance. The endowment, from a $100 million gift by the late Bill Gatton, will provide funds to developing and expanding food-as-medicine programs across the state.

The money will help build capacity for health-care providers to get key services for diet-sensitive patients who are at risk of food insecurity. Gustafson is also developing and expanding community partnerships, offering approved food-as-medicine programs to those who qualify, and building a referral and network hub that will give patients a connection to services regardless of location. 

“Our team will be conducting expansion efforts for screening and referral, capacity building among community groups, outreach, UK Cooperative Extension training and research projects to better serve Kentuckians experiencing food insecurity,” Gustafson said. 

Gustafson is a professor in the Department of Dietetics and Human Nutrition in the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment and the College of Nursing. Under terms of the gift from the Bill Gatton Foundation, distinguished faculty get resources to continue meaningful research, extension and instructional programs related to advancing UK’s land-grant mission. 

The Food as Health Alliance was launched at UK in 2023 to boost health and well-being in the state through the combined application of agricultural, medical, and nutritional resources. Gustafson works to bring together clinical and community research to address the dual challenges of food insecurity and diet-related chronic diseases that many Kentuckians face.

Gustafson earned a doctoral degree in nutrition epidemiology from the University of North Carolina and a master's degree in public health from Boston University. As a master's student, she spent a year in Zimbabwe working with AIDS orphans. She has worked in local and state health departments, focusing on community health for disadvantaged populations. 

The other Gatton endowed chair, Tiffany Messer, will get support for student training and success, water-quality needs assessments, and low-cost water-quality treatment options. She is an associate professor of biosystems and agricultural engineering in the college.

Bryan Hubbard, who wanted Ky. to help finance research into psychedelic for drug treatment, takes his cause to State of Ohio

Bryan Hubbard (Herald-Leader photo by Alex Acquisto)

Kentucky Health News

The man who wanted Kentucky to use some of its opioid-settlement money for research that could lead to legalizing a psychedelic drug to treat addiction, but lost his job when a new attorney general was elected last fall, is taking his cause to the State of Ohio.

"Bryan Hubbard, former executive director of the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission, has signed a contract with the State of Ohio," report Alex Acquisto and Austin Horn of the Lexington Herald-Leader. "His job: To help build public-private partnerships for potential projects 'related to the treatment of traumatic brain Injury, post-traumatic stress disorder and other related and unrelated mental-health and substance-use conditions,' according to a spokesperson in the office of Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague. . . . Hubbard will be paid $45,000 for his independent contracting services, according to his contract, which was reviewed by the Herald-Leader."

Brittany Halpin, Prague’s press secretary, told the newspaper in an email, “In part, the work is set to assist the treasurer’s office with determining the feasibility of potential solutions with ResultsOhio and other pay-for-success models.” ResultsOhio uses public and private funding to address Ohio’s “most pressing social and public health challenges,” according to the treasurer’s website. 

Hubbard told the Herald-Leader that as he works with the state to “deliver novel treatment access and research opportunities for veterans and opioid dependent individuals,” he is partnering with an Ohio-based foundation to “create the framework for ibogaine clinical trials in Ohio.”

Ibogaine is a psychedelic derived from the African iboga plant. It is illegal everywhere except Mexico and New Zealand and has been reported to reduce or eliminate drug-withdawal symptoms while posink risks to the heart. Hubbard wanted the Kentucky commission to spend $42 million, 5 percent of what the state had received in lawsuit settlements from drug makers and distributors, to help fund research that could lead to legalization of the drug as a treatment for addiction.

Hubbard's boss was then-Attorney General Daniel Cameron, who countenanced Hubbard's advocacy but did not endorse it outright as he ran for governor. He was succeeded by Russell Coleman, a former U.S. attorney who was not keen on ibogaine or Hubbard, and asked him to resign.

Hubbard told the Herald-Leader that he was “saddened that a lack of courage and vision from [Coleman] has deprived Kentucky of its opportunity to lead the nation in the development of ibogaine’s revolutionary therapeutic potentials. However, I am strongly encouraged that genuine leaders exist across the river to ensure that ibogaine’s promise has an opportunity to be fulfilled for all who may choose to seek it.” Coleman’s office did not respond to emailed questions from the Herald-Leader.

Hubbard is part of a broader ibogaine effort. Last week, the REID (Reaching Everyone in Distress) Foundation announced that he would “research and raise awareness for emerging therapies such as ibogaine as potential breakthrough treatments for PTSD and opioid addiction in Ohio.”

"The REID Foundation was created by Rex Elsass, who lost his son to addiction in 2019," the Herald-Leader reports. "Elsass is also one of the nation’s premier Republican operatives. In 2016, GQ magazine dubbed him “The Most Powerful Man in the GOP (And You’ve Never Heard Of Him).” His political media and consulting firm is called The Strategy Group. Elsass has been close to Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, serving as a key adviser in Paul’s 2016 bid for president. As senator, Paul has spearheaded efforts into seeking alternative therapies to treat addiction. A donor with close connections to Paul, Jeff Yass, was the primary funder of outside groups" that helped Cameron's challenge to Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear. "Elsass’ political firm has performed work for those groups."

Yass’ investment firm "has some interest in biopharmaceutical companies with a focus on psychedelic addiction treatments like ibogaine," the Herald-Leader notes. "Elsass’ advocacy for ibogaine can be traced back to Hubbard’s time in Kentucky." He did that at an opioid-commission meeting, and "a former executive assistant at his political operation started a group called the Kentucky Ibogaine Initiative. Elsass and the current president of The Strategy Group, Ryan Rodgers, are still listed as directors" with the Kentucky secretary of state.

Heart Association gives UK grant to spur 'food as medicine' effort

By Grace Sowards
University of Kentucky

The Food as Health Alliance at the University of Kentucky has received a grant from the American Heart Association. UK is among the first recipients of AHA’s Health Care by Food Initiative awards.

Alison Gustafson (UK photo by Sabrina Hounshell)

FAHA director Alison Gustafson is a faculty member in the University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. She will use the $386,000 grant over the next year and a half to see how a user-centered design program can improve screening, referral enrollment and engagement in food-as-medicine programs for adults with food insecurity and high blood pressure or other diet-sensitive chronic diseases.

This grant also involves UK HealthCare and Appalachian Regional Healthcare, with key partnerships from Instacart, Kroger Health with Soda Health, Mom’s Meals and Food City.

“We are looking forward to working with our partners across the state to improve screening, referral and enrollment practices to improve patient outcomes,” said Gustafson, a professor in UK's Department of Dietetics and Human Nutrition.  She has partnered with Instacart, Mom’s Meals and Food City on current pilot projects across Kentucky to help develop the infrastructure for patients receiving food-as-medicine programs.

The grant team is developing a referral hub for health-related social needs with key organizations in Kentucky. FAHA is bringing together diverse health-care, managed-care, non-profit and industry collaborators to facilitate screening, referral and enrollment to identify the most suitable and effective model(s) in the short term, while considering design for long-term sustainability.

FAHA seeks to bring together clinical and community research spanning across agriculture, food, health care and nutrition to address food insecurity and diet-related chronic disease. Researchers, community partners, food commodity producers, health care partners and students will explore innovative strategies to improve patient clinical outcomes and Kentuckians’ health.

“This award is an acknowledgment of the tremendous work the Food as Health Alliance has already been doing to address inequities related to food insecurity and chronic disease across Kentucky,” said Carolyn Lauckner, assistant professor in the Department of Behavioral Science at the UK College of Medicine and co-principal investigator on the grant with Gustafson.

“The grant demonstrates an investment in our efforts to use food as medicine to improve individuals’ health by targeting the link between food insecurity and cardiovascular disease,” Lauckner said. “I am thrilled to be working with this outstanding group of scholars and practitioners committed to using innovative, community-engaged research methods to improve the health of all Kentuckians.”

For more information on FAHA, visit https://foodashealthalliance.ca.uky.edu. For more information about the American Heart Association’s Health Care by Food Initiative, visit https://healthcarexfood.org.

Resorting to crowdfunding to pay medical bills has become so routine, in some cases health professionals recommend it

Photo illustration from Oprah.com

Kentucky Health News

Crowdfunding started as a way to finance ideas and, as a founder of GoFundMe put it, "life’s important moments" such as honeymoons. But now the site "has become a go-to for patients trying to escape medical-billing nightmares," Elizabeth Rosenthal reports in The Atlantic.

"One study found that, in 2020, the number of U.S. campaigns related to medical causes—about 200,000—was 25 times higher than the number of such campaigns on the site in 2011. More than 500 campaigns are currently dedicated to asking for financial help for treating people, mostly kids, with spinal muscular atrophy, a neurodegenerative genetic condition." Medical causes also dominate the sites YouCaring and Generosity by Indiegogo, Oprah.com reports.

Rosenthal, a physician turned health-care journalist, reports that crowdfunding is being integrated into the health-care system: "Resorting to GoFundMe when faced with bills has become so accepted that in some cases, patient advocates and hospital financial-aid officers recommend crowdfunding as an alternative to being sent to collections. . . . Ari Romio, a spokesperson for the company, said that 'medical expenses' is the most common category of fundraiser it hosts. But she declined to say what proportion of campaigns are medically related, because people starting a campaign self-select the purpose of the fundraiser. They might choose the family or travel category, she said, if a child needs to go to a different state for treatment."

Crowdfunding may sound like a great boon to people whose health insurance is inadequate, but Rosenthal reports that it doesn't necessarily help the working poor: "In many respects, research shows, GoFundMe tends to perpetuate socioeconomic disparities that already affect medical bills and debt. If you are famous or part of a circle of friends who have money, your crowdfunding campaign is much more likely to succeed than if you are middle-class or poor."

And it is far from a panacea, Rosenthal reports: "Most campaigns generate only a small fraction of the money owed. Almost all of the medical-expense campaigns in the U.S. fell short of their goal, and some raised little or no money, a 2017 study from the University of Washington found. The average campaign made it to just about 40 percent of the target amount, and there is evidence that yields—measured as a percent of their target—have gotten worse over time."

Louisville's 'Bos' Todd, national leader in mental health, dies at 93

Bosworth Todd

Kentucky Health News

Bosworth M. "Bos" Todd Jr., who co-founded a pathbreaking treatment center in Louisville for mentally ill youth and the foundation that makes the most mental-health research grants in the nation, died Jan. 22. He was 93.

Todd, a Frankfort native and University of Kentucky graduate, earned an MBA at Harvard Business School and worked in the investment industry. After his oldest son Sam was hospitalized with schizophrenia, he and his wife Joan, who died last year, joined with other parents to form the Schizophrenia Association of Louisville, now part of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

In the early 1980s, he joined attorney Philip Ardery, real-estate broker Malcolm “Mac” Matthews Jr. and Barry Bingham Sr., editor and publisher of The Courier-Journal, to found Wellspring as a transitional home for young people with schizophrenia. "It now has a $40 million budget and offers a variety of services to 1,000 people at multiple locations across Louisville, The C-J's Andrew Wolfson reports.

Todd, Ardery and University of Louisville psychiatrist Herbert Wagemaker also launched the American Schizophrenia Foundation, which became the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation, "the nation’s top nongovernmental funder of mental-health research grants," Wolfson reports. "It has backed the research of more than 5,400 scientists in more than 599 institutions around the world."

A celebratory visitation will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 26, at the River Valley Club on River Road in Louisville. Burial will be private. Wellspring is accepting memorial gifts in lieu of flowers.

Scott County Schools to launch pilot to support bereaved children; one in nine Kentucky children lose a parent by the age of 18

Scott County Schools will launch a pilot to support bereaved students with a Kentucky Association of Health Plans grant through the Kentucky Center for Grieving Children & Families. From left: Liz Yandell, the schools' assistant director of student services; Supt. Billy Parker; Leila Salisbury, founder and executive director of the center; and Tom Stephens, president and CEO of KAHP. (KAHP photo)

By Melissa Patrick

Kentucky Health News

The Kentucky Center for Grieving Children & Families, launched in 2021, has received a big grant that will allow it to team up with Scott County Schools for a pilot program to support children experiencing grief and bereavement, to begin later this month. 

“This initiative is a great opportunity to support the mental health and well-being of our students, a goal that is very important to our district, schools, and community," Supt. Billy Parker said in a news release. 

Parker told Spectrum News of a student who lost both parents to overdoses: "That was the first student I thought of when I thought about the fact we were getting this grant. Sometimes, I don't think people realize until they start digging into what the root cause of some of the issues for our students are."

The two-year, $90,000 grant is from the Kentucky Association of Health Plans, the trade group for companied offering health insiurance in the state. It will allow the center to offer 16 school-based, 11-week, facilitated grief-support groups for students at all levels in Scott County Schools. It will also include district-wide staff training on best practices for grief support in the classroom and the school setting at large, says the release. 

“Studies have connected childhood bereavement to poorer physical health outcomes (including early death), increased incidence of depression, mental health issues, and far higher levels of substance use and juvenile justice involvement,” Tom Stephens, president and CEO of KAHP, said in the release. “By providing these school-based services, the goal is to decrease the feelings of isolation in students with death losses and to provide coping skills that can help students manage the emotional distress caused by these losses.”

Bereavement is the state of having lost a significant other to death and Grief is the personal response to the loss, according to  the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. 

According to state data modeling, one in nine Kentucky children will lose a parent or sibling by the age of 18, with 25% of parental bereavements caused by overdose. "This represents more than 40,000 Kentucky children, enough to fill Rupp Arena nearly twice over," says the release. 

“We appreciate the generosity of KAHP,” Leila Salisbury, founder and executive director of the center, said in the release. “This grant helps create a service model for school districts around Kentucky.”

Salisbury, former director of the University Press of Kentucky, launched the center in 2021 with a mission of "supporting children, youth and families as they grieve and grow," according to the nonprofit's website.

The site says the center offers free school-based grief support groups in several Fayette County schools; free community-based grief support groups for children along with concurrent parent and caregiver support groups at Tates Creek Christian Church; a teen-led online peer-led grief support group for teens aged 13-18 called Peer Healing; and an online anine grief support group for young adults aged 18-30 through a partnership with Kate's Club of Atlanta. 

It also offers training and education in youth bereavement and provides community and mental health referrals for additional services and support. And, it offers a webpage that includes resources about coping with grief.

Free webinar, 'Health for a Change: ACEs, Substance Use Disorder, and Prevention' is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 19

The Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky's next "Health for a Change" webinar is titled "ACEs, Substance Use Disorder and Prevention." It will be held Friday, Jan. 19, from 11 a.m. to noon ET. 

This free webinar will dive into the connection between adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs, and SUD, while sharing what’s going on in Kentucky to address it. Click here to register. 

"Substance use disorder is a critical health concern in Kentucky," says a foundation news release. " So, how can we prevent future generations from struggling with the disease? It requires us to start as early as childhood." 

Studies show that ACEs, a term used for all types of abuse, neglect and family dysfunction that occur under the age of 18, are linked to negative health outcomes in adulthood. One in five Kentucky children have experienced at least two ACEs.

The webinar will offer prevention strategies and ways to support them. It will include topics such as how childhood trauma makes a person more at risk of developing substance use disorder, examples of ACEs interventions and SUD prevention and how an initiative called Bloom Kentucky is working to increase these efforts across the state.

The webinar's scheduled speakers include:

· Barry Allen, president & treasurer, The Gheens Foundation, Louisville
· Shannon Moody, chief policy and strategy officer, Kentucky Youth Advocates
· Dr. Connie White, deputy commissioner for clinical affairs, Kentucky Department for Public Health

UK's largest academic building will be the Michael D. Rankin M.D. Health Education Building, named for an alumnus from Danville

A rendering of the building, to be built on University Drive between the main library and Cooper Drive

By Kristi Willett
University of Kentucky

The University of Kentucky Board of Trustees approved Tuesday the naming of the university's new building for health education as the Michael D. Rankin M.D. Health Education Building.

As an alumnus, Rankin has devoted himself to the UK College of Medicine, its success and the success of its students. He has been an invaluable member of the UK Medical Alumni Association, its past president, chair of the Dean's Advisory Council and volunteer faculty in the Department of Family and Community Medicine. In addition, he has served many years on the College of Medicine scholarship and admissions committees.

The Board of Trustees previously accepted a gift commitment of $22 million from Rankin for scholarships in the college and to support the construction of the building — which, when completed, will be the largest academic building in the history of UK.

“Dr. Rankin has left an indelible mark of healing and hope, not just on this university, but on the state of Kentucky,” said UK President Eli Capilouto. “His influence will be felt by generations of students and the patients they later serve.”

At over 500,000 square feet, the new Health Education Building will house programs in the colleges of Medicine, Public Health, Health Sciences and Nursing as well as the Center for Interprofessional and Community Health Education. The new facility will become a prominent campus landmark at the intersection of Huguelet and University drives when it opens in 2026.

Rankin when his gift was revealed in 2021 (UK photo)

Rankin, of Danville, received his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from UK in 1971 and his medical degree from the College of Medicine in 1980. He completed his residency in family medicine in 1983 at UK HealthCare and pursued a successful practice in primary care and family medicine in Atlanta before retiring and returning to Boyle County on a farm 10 miles from where he grew up.

“One of the greatest challenges facing the commonwealth is the current and growing shortage of health care providers, including physicians, nurses, physician assistants, physical therapists, athletic trainers, medical laboratory scientists, speech language pathologists, audiologists, public health officials and other health care professionals,” Capilouto said. “With this new facility, we will be addressing this health care workforce shortage head-on and, but it couldn’t be done without our partners like Dr. Michael Rankin, who share with us a vision for a healthier Kentucky.”

Do you appreciate Kentucky Health News? Here's a chance to help make it even better, and get your gift matched!

By Al Cross, Publisher, Kentucky Health News

Director emeritus, Institute for Rural Journalism, University of Kentucky

For more than a dozen years, Kentucky Health News has provided news you can use, to help keep you and your family healthy, or get healthier. We have also kept Kentuckians up to date on their health-care system and things that affect it, including government actions.

Melissa Patrick and Al Cross of Kentucky Health News

We hope you appreciate our work, which is done mainly by a part-time reporter, Melissa Patrick, and funded by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky. Now we have a way for you to show your appreciation and expand our efforts, with a contribution that will be matched — for a limited time.

Kentucky Health News has joined NewsMatch, the largest collaborative fundraising campaign to support independent, nonprofit journalism in the United States. Its annual matching-gift campaign runs through Dec. 31.

Through the end of the year, NewsMatch will double your donation to Kentucky Health News, up to $1,000 and a total match of up to $13,000. That amount would increase our budget by almost 30 percent and enable us to do more of our important work, such as covering health issues in the legislature.

No one covers health issues in Kentucky like we do, and the news coverage is badly needed, because Kentucky is a state with poor health status. One key to raising that status is reliable information, especially at a time when some health topics have become polluted with misinformation, even disinformation. You can count on us to bring you the facts, plus the opinions of qualified experts. We keep our opinions out of our news stories, which are republished by news outlets all over the state.

Please help us expand our work. Donate today by clicking here. All donations to the Institute for Rural Journalism's enrichment fund through Dec. 31 will go to support Kentucky Health News. If you or your organization would like to discuss how you might provide continuing support, email al.cross@uky.edu.

Pandemic memorial at Capitol to be dedicated Wednesday

The memorial is pictured on Monday, after the final sod had been laid and watered. The Capitol steps are in the background on the right. (Kentucky Health News photo by Al Cross; click on it to enlarge)

The state's permanent memorial to Kentucky vicims of the Covid-19 pandemic will be dedicated at 2 p.m. Wednesday on the grounds of the state Capitol.

The memorial – titled “United We Stand. Divided We Fall,” after the state motto – was designed and sculpted by Kentucky native Amanda Matthews, artist and chief executive officer of Lexington's Prometheus Foundry.

“This phenomenal new memorial honors the 18,653 Kentuckians lost during this once-a-century pandemic,” Gov. Andy Beshear said in a press release. “It will stand in a place of prominence in the Capitol Monument Park for generations to come so that they might learn about the great challenges we faced and how Kentuckians came together during this crisis.”

Matthews said her work "captures the ideals and visual symbols of our state motto and seal in three-dimensional form. Most important to the concept are the diverse people of Kentucky and their fear and grief during the time of Covid, yet their strength and hope for better days."

The memorial's center is encircled by green lights, symbolizing empathy and compassion for the Kentuckians lost throughout the pandemic; white lights shine through the night until sunrise.

The memorial has several semi-abstract human figures
of varying sizes. (Commonwealth of Kentucky photo)

The human figures in the memorial each have a small bell in a cutout where the heart would be. Matthews told the Lexington Herald-Leader, "When you grieve deeply it affects your whole body, but ut really, truly, affects your heart space and I wanted to show that emptiness."

The dedication will begin with the chiming of bells by Kandie Adkinson, a longtime employee in the secretary of state’s office, recalling Beshear's request early in the pandemic that Kentuckians ring bells at 10 a.m. each day "so that those who were feeling alone would know we were with them," the release says. For months, each weekday at 10 a.m. in the Capitol rotunda, Adkinson rang her father’s bell 120 times to honor those lost in each county. 

The memorial's final design was selected by an advisory panel of health-care workers, Covid-19 survivors, and family members and loved ones of victims.

“The Covid-19 Memorial is a beautiful way to honor all those we loved dearly,” panel member Jacqueline Woodward said. “It will ensure future generations remember the dedicated Kentuckians we lost during this tragic pandemic that impacted so many lives. May the memorial be another means to bring comfort and peace to those who lost a loved one. I feel truly blessed to be a part of this project.”

Woodward will speak at the dedication, along with Dr. Jason Smith, chief medical officer at UofL Health, who will talk about the impact of Covid-19 in the state and the memorial’s creation.

“This memorial honors the thousands of Kentuckians we lost throughout the pandemic,” Smith said in the release. “It also represents the strength of our commonwealth and our citizens to join together, support each other and persevere. The pandemic revealed many heroes. In particular, it shines a light on the incredible work of our health-care workers, who put themselves on the front line to protect and heal our community. This memorial is a symbol of hope and stands as a reminder that our work towards keeping our state safe is not done.”

Beshear will speak about the two main legacies of the pandemic in Kentucky, the release said, quoting him in advance: “One is loss. In a little more than three years, this evil virus caused the deaths of more than 1.1 million Americans, including more than 18,600 Kentuckians. But this memorial also reflects a second legacy of Covid, and that’s the unity and coming together that saved tens of thousands of lives and ultimately allowed us to end the pandemic. We, as Kentuckians, answered the call in times of tragedy and lived out our faith and values: living for one another, loving our neighbors as ourselves and being the Good Samaritans helping those in need.”

The release said "the primary donors" to the memorial fund were most of the state's leading hospital systems: Norton Healthcare, Baptist Health, St. Elizabeth Healthcare, King’s Daughters Health System, UofL Health, University of Kentucky and Pikeville Medical Center. It concludes, "Numerous private donations rounded out the funding and no tax dollars were used."

Big health-insurance company and major health-care foundation among lead investors in Invest Appalachia venture-capital fund

Kentucky Health News

Two big players in health care are the major financiers of a venture-capital firm that calls itself "a regional social investment platform" for Eastern Kentucky and most of Appalachia. Invest Appalachia says it "has secured $19 million of new investment" and is already investing in projects.

ARC.gov map, adapted by Kentucky Health News

The fund's press release says 90% of the money is "new capital from outside the region," which it defines as as the Appalachian counties of Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina and Ohio, and it has a target of $40 million by November. The lead investors are UnitedHealth Group, a big insurance company, which has put in $10 million; the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a major funder of health research and projects; and the Appalachian Regional Commission, a federal-state agency that serves 54 of Kentucky's 120 counties. The release did not list ARC's and RWJF's amounts.

Andy McMahon, a vice president of UnitedHealth, said, “Advancing health equity and addressing social needs like housing and access to health care in rural and underserved areas is an integral part of making the health-care system better for everyone. We are fortunate to work with partners like Invest Appalachia, who really understand the rich culture of Appalachia and are creating new ways to address community needs to improve quality of life and health.”

Zoila Jennings, impact investment lead with the foundation, said “Invest Appalachia is pioneering regionally controlled creative capital solutions in Appalachia that support inclusive economic growth for the region and offer new opportunities for national investors. We see the Invest Appalachia Fund as an innovative model for foundations and other impact investors who want to get capital to the people and places that need it most.”

CEO Andrew Crosson told The Rural Blog that his fund has invested in real estate for downtown revitalization, "support for consumer and business lending for flood-impacted communities" in Eastern Kentucky, "solar and energy efficient equipment for a rural grocery store, and expansion of rural eye care clinics." He said in an email that he couldn't give specifics because "these deals aren't public yet" but said his priorities are "downtown revitalization/community-focused real estate, solar and energy efficiency for rural businesses and institutions, and community health facilities and social enterprises."

After Russell County school employees were educated about adverse childhood experiences, suspensions dropped by half

Russell County (Wikipedia map)

Suspensions of elementary-school students in Russell County have dropped by half since 2019, when teachers, staff, counselors, and bus drivers began getting intensive training on the effects of childhood trauma on students' mental and physical health, reports Nadia Ramlagan of Public News Service.

"More kids report feeling safe, cared for, and feel they 'belong' at school," Ramlagan reports, citing the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, which provided a grant for the project.

The foundation's senior policy and advocacy officer, Amalia Mendoza, told Ramlagan that rural communities face challenges in reducing behavior problems from adverse childhood experiences.

"We're talking about toxic stress, we're not talking about just any adversity," Mendoza said. "There's really that kind of stress that is ongoing, and that can produce changes even in the brain and in the immune system."

According to the Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative, nearly 40% of American children have had at least one adverse childhood experience (ACE): neglect or abuse, living with someone with a drug, alcohol or serious mental-health problem, the death of a parent, or exposure to violence or discrimination in the home or community.

Tracy Aaron, director of health education for the Lake Cumberland District Health Department, told Ramlagan that adverse childhood experiences have been linked to heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer and mental-health problems in the 10-county district. "If you look at the data that backs up ACEs," she said, "we have a very high rate of poverty, we have teen pregnancy. Substance use is an issue."

Russell County School Supt. Michael Ford told Ramlagan that schools can't fix family problems, but can remove barriers that affect academic performance and provide spaces where students see de-escalation, self-care and effective problem-solving techniques, and healthy relationships.

Ford said, "We want our kids to be resilient, right? Number one, we want to prevent anything that we can help prevent. Kids, regardless, are going to have ACEs, but ACEs do not have to hold them back."

He said successful strategies in the district include parent and grandparent training on how to build kids' resilience, increasing support for school counselors, and changing discipline policies.

Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky's new five-year strategic plan focuses on children's health and access to health care

Major part of the one-page synopsis of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky's strategic plan

Directors of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky have approved a new, five-year strategic plan that narrows the foundation's focus to health-care access and children's health.

The board acted after an 18-month strategic planning process with "external and internal interviews, surveys, data, research and other inputs," the foundation said in a press release.

"While Kentucky's uninsured rate has declined, increasing chronic health issues and continued low rankings compared to other states, in areas such as cancer mortality, show Kentuckians still face many barriers to accessing health care," the foundation said. "Issues include a high number of medically underserved areas and a health care workforce shortage."

In this area, the foundation will address access to quality care, immunization, cancer screening, public health services and data on claims to insurance companies, which can show important trends.

On children's health, the foundation noted that the annual Kids Count Data Book ranks Kentucky 37th in the nation for the overall condition of its children and said, "Investing in our next generation may have the biggest impact of any investment in health. Historically, Healthy Kentucky has prioritized early intervention and prevention strategies with its children's health initiatives, building capacity and relationships to be successful in this area. 

In this area, the foundation will address childhood obesity prevention, children's mental health, equitable child health and reducing tobacco use by children.

The foundation's stated vision is "a Kentucky where every individual and community reaches their highest levels of health." It says its mission is "to address the unmet health needs of Kentuckians by developing and influencing policy, improving access to care, reducing health risks and disparities, and promoting health equity."

For a one-page synopsis of the plan, click here.

Colorectal screening now available at participating Ky. pharmacies

L-R: Brooke Sorgi of Exact Sciences, maker of Cologuard, a

DNA-based screening test, and Capital Pharmacy pharmacist

Dr. Emily Wilkerson mark the first pharmacist-led colorectal

cancer screening via a stool-based test on Sept. 29.

Kentucky's pharmacists and health insurers have teamed up to offer what they say is the nation's first "pharmacist-led colorectal cancer screening via a non-invasive stool-based test."

The test was done Sept. 29 at Capital Pharmacy & Medical Equipment in Frankfort, the Kentucky Pharmacists Association and the Kentucky Association of Health Plans said in a Nov. 17 news release.

“Health plans and pharmacists are joining together to tackle a leading cause of death in the commonwealth,” KAHP Executive Director Tom Stephens said.

KAHP gave the Kentucky Pharmacists Education and Research Foundation a $50,000 grant to expand access to these screenings in Kentucky. Participating pharmacies are being reimbursed for pharmacist-led screening and follow-up.  

KPA Executive Director Ben Mudd said, “Adding assessment of and screening for colorectal cancer to existing pharmacy protocols can greatly impact our two-decade-long fight to increase CRC screening rates. With early detection, colorectal cancer is a preventable, treatable, and beatable disease.”

The screenings were authorized by a new protocol approved by the Kentucky Board of Pharmacy in September 2021. It lets pharmacists initiate dispensing of noninvasive, stool-based colorectal cancer screening such as a fecal immunochemical test or a stool DNA test. Pharmacies interested in providing the service can contact Dr. Emily Wilkerson at fellow@kphanet.org for more information.

Anthem expands its rural health scholarship program at EKU

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield's Kentucky Medicaid unit is expanding its rural scholarship program at Eastern Kentucky University "to grow the number of frontline workers in the eastern region of the state and increase access to care and improve health equity for those living in Kentucky’s rural areas," the company and the university said in a press release.

The fund of nearly $200,000 "will enable more students to provide care in underserved communities," the release said. "Anthem Medicaid launched the scholarship in August 2021, granting eight students the opportunity to pursue health education and eventually serve in Eastern Kentucky." This year’s scholarship recipients are Breanna Goble, a Johnson County native, and Sara Cornelison, a Madison County native.

In the Kentucky Hospital Association’s 2022 Workforce Survey Report, Kentucky hospitals reported more than 13,000 vacancies across 13 professional groups last year. "Nursing topped the list with 22% of all nursing positions unfilled, and another 14% of nurses near retirement," the release noted. 

Connections between education and better health to be examined in Foundation for a Healthy Ky.'s day-long online forum Monday

The annual health-policy forum of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, to be held online all day Monday, Oct. 17, will examine the connections between education and better health.

The Howard L. Bost Memorial Health Policy Forum will run from 9:30 a,m. to 4:30 p.m. ET and is free. To register, click here.

“There are many facets of education – often well beyond the four walls of a school building – that impact the long-term health of Kentuckians,” said Ben Chandler, president and CEO of the foundation, promising “a productive conversation around the situation here in Kentucky, including where there are gaps and potential solutions.”

The forum will begin with presentation of the foundation's annual Gil Friedell Health Policy Award, followed by:

9:45 a.m. Making the Case for Funding: Education and Beyond: Considering education as a social determinant of health, panelists will discuss school funding, social safety-net programs’ impact on education, and real examples from urban and rural schools. Mark Neikirk, executive director of the Scripps Howard Center for Civic Engagement at Northern Kentucky University, will moderate a panel of Pam Thomas, senior fellow, Kentucky Center for Economic Policy; Collin Groth, executive vice president of strategy and development, StriveTogether; and Supts. Mike Borchers of Ludlow Independent Schools and Patricia L. Sheffer of Union County Schools.

11:20 a.m. Keynote address from Willie Carver, academic advisor, University of Kentucky Gatton College of Business & Economics, and the 2022 Kentucky Teacher of the Year. (Lunch break follows.)

12:30 p.m. Literacy for Life: Critical Lessons for Positive Health: They’re lessons most don’t receive in school but can mean the difference between addressing and overcoming life’s challenges or becoming overwhelmed. Panelists will discuss mental health and emotional literacy, financial literacy and navigating systems, and how nutrition education impacts hunger long-term: Matthew B. Courtney, state Department of Education; Nichole Huff, Extension specialist for family finance and resource management, UK; and Heather Gibbs, Department of Dietetics & Nutrition, University of Kansas; moderated by Stephanie Gastauer, director, Stober Drives, Maysville.

1:45 p.m. Linked But Addressable: Helping Families Overcome Obstacles: A look at how family income plays a critical role in the academic outcomes of students, and therefore, the lifelong health of individuals. Brad Hershbein, senior economist, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research; Felicia C. Smith, president and CEO, National Center for Families Learning (moderator) and Ashley Spalding, research director, KCEP.

3 p.m. Breaking Down Barriers: Real Examples of Kentucky Communities Making Positive Change: Panelists will share about connecting families with early childhood intervention services; public schools and public health collaborating on mental health services; and, how a community is working to chart paths for non-traditional career building: Ashley Brandt, director of early care and education, Metro United Way; Jen Harris, director, Todd County Health Department; Dr. Robert Boone, chief officer, National Workforce Solutions, Career Team, Bowling Green; moderated by Rufus Friday, executive director, the Hope Center, Lexington.

4:15 p.m. Closing session, led by Allison Adams, vice president for policy, Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.

The forum was created in memory of Dr. Howard L. Bost, a notable health economist and founding member of the foundation’s board of directors.

Norton Children's Hospital gets $15 million for diabetes institute

Norton Children’s Hospital and the Lift a Life Novak Family Foundation today announced the creation of the Wendy Novak Diabetes Institute. 

The foundation has given the hospital $15 million as the starting point of a $60 million plan to expand diabetes care for children and adults, as well as build the top diabetes institute in the country, a news release said. The institute will enhance services already available through the current Wendy Novak Diabetes Center. 

Nearly half a million children and adults in Kentucky have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, a rate of 14%, making Kentucky the eighth worst in the nation, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

The goal of the Wendy Novak Diabetes Institute is to become a national center of excellence by expanding and elevating diabetes care across the region, while helping children and adults with diabetes manage their conditions, and making it easier for patients to transition from pediatric to adult care. 

 “We are confident that with the strategic partnership with Norton Children’s and Norton Healthcare, and the outstanding leadership of Dr. Kupper Wintergerst, one of the most renowned endocrinologists in the world, we can continue to climb the rankings and become the best practice institution others will want to emulate,” David Novak, founder of the foundation, said in the release. “We see this impacting not only Louisville, but the world.” 

One of the first initiatives of the institute will be to provide more patient support through expansion of the diabetes education program. "Living with diabetes is an enormous burden, and educators are able to help each child and adult face every one of life’s challenges.” Wintergerst said in the release. 

Wendy and David Novak with daughter Ashley
(Photo by Pat McDonogh, The Courier Journal)

Wintergerst is a pediatric endocrinologist with Norton Children’s Endocrinology, which is affiliated with the University of Louisville School of Medicine, where he is the Wendy L. Novak Chair of Pediatric Diabetes Care and Clinical Research.

Norton Healthcare says it provides care for more than 69,000 patients with diabetes, spanning 137 counties in Kentucky and Southern Indiana. About 1,400 of the patients are children, says the release.

Looking forward, the Norton Children’s Hospital Foundation and Norton Healthcare Foundation have committed to raising another $12 million for a total $27 million investment. So far, $2 million has been raised. In the coming years, the goal is to raise additional funds to reach the $60 million vision.

The Lift a Life Novak Family Foundation was established in 1999 through a charitable trust by David and Wendy Novak. It funds innovative, high-impact projects that are led by passionate leaders committed to outstanding execution. Wendy Novak has had Type 1 diabetes since she was 7 years old, reports Maggie Menderski of the Louisville Courier Journal.

Annual policy forum will focus on role of education in health

Individual and public health are influenced by many things, including the educational characteristics of people and their communities. Education will be the focus of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky’s 2022 Howard L. Bost Memorial Health Policy Forum, to be held virtually from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Oct. 17.

The forum will look at the connection between educational opportunities and health outcomes of Kentuckians, as one of the social determinants of health. Presenters and panelists will consider education as a cornerstone of Kentucky’s health outcomes. It is offred free of charge. Register here.

“Education is more than what happens between the four walls of a school building,” said Ben Chandler, president and CEO of the foundation. “Educational factors that influence health outcomes include everything from life skills — mental health, emotional literacy, financial literacy, and nutritional literacy — to local community programs, such as out-of-school care and workforce training, to equity issues. It’s important we consider all the factors of health to find ways to make a positive impact.”

Looking beyond the K-12 education system, panelists and presenters will discuss programs that can enhance education and provide more equitable access, while leading to better health outcomes for individuals and communities. Attendees will learn about replicable community-oriented collaborations and coordination between sectors that have led to improved health overall.

The 2022 Kentucky Teacher of the Year, Willie Carver, will give the keynote address. Sessions will include:

• Making the Case for Funding, in Education and Beyond: Considering education as a social determinant of health, panelists will discuss school funding, social safety net programs’ impact on education, and real examples from urban and rural schools.
• Literacy for Life (Critical Lessons for Positive Health): They’re lessons most don’t receive in school but can mean the difference between addressing and overcoming life’s challenges or becoming overwhelmed. Panelists will discuss mental health and emotional literacy, financial literacy and navigating systems, and how nutrition education impacts hunger long-term.
• Linked but Addressable; Helping Families Overcome Obstacles: A look at how family income plays a critical role in the academic outcomes of students, and therefore, the lifelong health of individuals.
• Breaking Down Barriers; Real Examples of Kentucky Communities Making Positive Change: Learn how local communities are lifting up families. Panelists will share about connecting families with early childhood intervention services; public schools and public health collaborating on mental health services; and, how a community is working to chart paths for non-traditional career building.

The forum is designed to raise awareness of the health issues impacting Kentuckians and highlights model strategies and policy opportunities to improve Kentucky’s health. The foundation created it to honor Dr. Howard L. Bost, a notable health economist and a founding member of the foundation’s board of directors. It welcomes a range of audiences, inside and outside the health industry – including health care advocates, providers and educators, business professionals, civic leaders, policy makers and more.

Updates on the forum are at Healthy-KY.org/bost-forum-2022.