UK board approves Advancing Kentucky Together Network, holistic program to address health of state
Kentucky Health News
A plan to address the growing health, education and workforce needs across the state called the Advancing Kentucky Together Network was approved Friday by the University of Kentucky Board of Trustees, according to a UK press release.
The network will invest millions of dollars in new resources and intellectual property by UK HealthCare to establish a new model to advance health, health care outcomes, workforce training and education across Kentucky. It will start with clinical partnerships and then expand into other areas, says the release.
The creation of the Advancing Kentucky Together Network was approved as part of a resolution adopted by the UK Board of Trustees at its annual retreat, held Oct. 17 and 18 in Lexington.
The resolution also directed UK President Eli Capilouto to take steps toward accelerating the university’s efforts to improve the overall health of the commonwealth. In addition, it directed Capilouto and the campus to develop a growth strategy aimed at responding to the health-related workforce needs and shortages in Kentucky; to formally launch and expand deeper connections with communities, the university, UK HealthCare and UK’s Cooperative Extension Service; and to develop the plan for a second Healthy Kentucky Research Building and the talent to support it, according to a separate press release.
Pikeville Medical Center, a long-time partner of UK HealthCare, will be the first member of the network.
“UK has an opportunity — and, we believe, a responsibility — to be the university in this country that does the most for the health of the state it serves. As such, we must be, and we are, focused squarely and strategically on the holistic health needs of the state,” Capilouto said in the release. “Doing that successfully is the single most important way we can advance this state.”
The Advancing Kentucky Together Network will focus on supporting its partners by sharing expertise in tracking, measuring and documenting patient outcomes, enhancing educational opportunities for Kentucky’s workforce, research and training, and expanding community outreach for more patients to access as much of their care as close to their home as possible.
“Policymakers and partners alike are asking us to expand existing partnerships and explore new affiliations that would support their efforts to help Kentucky grow and prosper,” UK Board Chair Britt Brockman said in the release. “This endeavor is a continued examination of both significant opportunities and challenges confronting the state.”
Some examples of how the network would support its affiliates include:
- Working to keep patients close to home when possible and reducing wait times for subspecialty clinics
- Providing linkage to UK’s clinical expertise and UK’s faculty, including access to clinical subspecialty expertise when appropriate
- Providing resources including clinical program development managers, patient outcome metric training and education, compliance and risk management, and purchasing
For over two decades, UK HealthCare has worked with affiliates across the state to provide greater access to specialty care, such as cancer, heart disease and stroke. Those affiliate relationships will continue to focus on disease and program-specific goals.
The new advanced network takes that affiliate model a step further by working with other partners across the state on issues related to overall health, such as education and workforce needs training –often referred to as the social determinants of health.
Some of the network’s initiatives include:
- A Clinical Quality Program that will provide leadership in improving quality, safety, efficiency and experience in patient care
- Workforce, Education, Research and Training that will be directly tied to UK’s seven health professions colleges as well as other university resources
- Community Outreach and Education aimed at enhancing the availability of care through access to UK’s clinical outreach program development project team
- UK HealthCare Branding for approved co-branding opportunities
Kentucky Health News is an independent news service of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, based in the School of Journalism and Media at the University of Kentucky, with support from the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.
