BY William George In mid-February 2019, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”), Innovation Center and the Department for Health and Human Services (“HHS”) announced a ground-breaking payment and medical services initiative for ambulance providers called “Emergency Triage, Treat and Transport” (the “ET3”). This new model is the first step in allowing providers of Emergency…
At Clínica Amiga, language barriers come down for Hispanic pediatric patients
Janeth Ceballos Osorio, MD, UK HealthCare’s only native Spanish-speaking pediatrician, recognized a unique need in the patients she saw. Language barriers often put Kentucky’s growing population of Hispanics at a disadvantage regarding healthcare. “During my conversations with Hispanic families, they often confided me their challenges to access healthcare,” said Ceballos. “They shared with me their…
Kentucky hospitals to launch data-sharing tool
While Kentucky hospitals use electronic health records, that data typically stays in-house, but a new partnership is allowing hospitals to share the information with each other. The Kentucky Hospital Association and the Kentucky Office of Rural Health have partnered with the company Collective Medical to develop a statewide care coordination network. Chief Medical Officer John…
New program takes music therapy to the next level
By Erica Coghill From the studio to the stage, cancer patients at Norton Children’s Hospital are more like musicians-in-the-making. “The battle that they have done, and they are so resilient,” said Joseph Flynn, DO, the physician-in-chief at Norton Cancer Institute. Each child has a story to tell and is finding a voice through music. “The…
E-cigarettes account for highest percentage of tobacco product sales to minors
Kentucky continues to make progress in limiting retail sales of tobacco to minors, according to a new report from the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS). The 2019 Annual Synar Inspection of Kentucky retail tobacco outlets showed 90.3 percent of retailers complied with the law barring tobacco and electronic nicotine device sales to anyone…
KHC’s conference focuses on high value behavioral healthcare
By Michele Ganote On March 5, the Kentuckiana Health Collaborative’s annual conference moves from a broad-based view of value-based healthcare innovation to a deep dive into what many would say is Kentucky’s most important healthcare priority–behavioral healthcare. This conference will examine how employers, payers, and providers can ensure individuals have access to timely, appropriate mental…