Continuing education opportunities for KY’s social and health workers
Medicaid renewals and steps the state is taking to improve maternal health are all topics experts will cover at the upcoming Kentucky Voices for Health annual meeting in Lexington on December 10.
Sessions count toward continuing-education requirements for the Commonwealth’s Certified Community Health Workers and social workers.
Emily Beauregard, executive director of Kentucky Voices for Health, said The University o Kentucky’s pharmacy team will be onsite – with a pop-up vaccine clinic for attendees and the general public.
“Everyone is welcome to come,” said Beauregard. “It’s going to be really convenient to have it right there. People can swing by for their seasonal boosters.”
Attendees will also get the latest on initiatives to improve access to health care for students, incarcerated residents and individuals living with serious mental illness or substance-use disorder. More information is on the Kentucky Voices for Health website.
The state has made major strides in addressing maternal-health disparities among Black and brown Kentuckians.
Experts will break down the latest efforts to continue improving the health of moms and babies – including a special-coverage enrollment period for pregnancy, lactation supplies and consultation, a new helpline to support providers who are caring for new parents struggling with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, and a newly commissioned study to look at the impact of doula care.
Beauregard said the upcoming legislative session offers opportunities to improve the health and lives of families.
“Policies that we expect to see, in terms of legislation in the coming session,” said Beauregard, “will be paid parental leave for parents of new babies, and improving access to non-emergency medical transportation for Medicaid beneficiaries.”
A 2023 state report found pregnancy-related-deaths in the Commonwealth went down in 2018 and 2019, but in 2020 increased to 21.2 deaths per 100,000 live births.
It’s estimated more than 80% of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable.
get more stories like this via email
Public News Service is an independent, member-supported news organization providing "news in the public interest" through a network of independent state newswires. Our journalists report on a broad spectrum of public interest topics with the goal of promoting an informed citizenry to support vibrant, equitable, and participatory communities – ultimately leading to a healthier democracy.
