By Ben Keeton Volunteers of America (VOA), which has been expanding services in southeastern Kentucky with a focus on treatment of substance use disorder, has announced a major new oral health initiative in partnership with a generous donation by Avesis, a Guardian Company. The outreach and education initiative will promote better oral healthcare for pregnant…
Program highlights Appalachians whose lives have been impacted by Medicaid
Appalachians for Medicaid is an organization with health justice advocates in Appalachia organizing across state lines to share the healthcare stories and lived experiences of neighbors with Medicaid coverage in the Appalachian region. By elevating the stories of how Medicaid has positively impacted the health and healthcare needs of Appalachians, this organizations hopes to build…
“Be Well. Stay Well. Physician Health Program” helps rural physicians
By Emily Schott From the onset of the pandemic, the Kentucky Medical Association (KMA) shifted its work to better serve the state’s thousands of physician members. The Association provided news updates, advocated for policy changes and helped educate the public on preventing the spread of COVID-19. However, as the pandemic continued to rage later into…
Novel tool to increase colon cancer screening in rural Kentucky
By Elizabeth Holtsclaw and Aaron Kruse-Diehr Over the past two decades, Kentucky has made remarkable progress in increasing colorectal cancer screening. According to the Kentucky Cancer Registry, in 2001, Kentucky was ranked 49th out of 50 in colorectal cancer screening compared to all other states, with just over one third (34.7 percent) of the age-eligible…
Volunteers of America partners with Avesis to promote oral health among pregnant and parenting women
Volunteers of America, which has been expanding services in Southeastern Kentucky with a focus on treatment of substance use disorder, has announced a major new oral health initiative in partnership with a generous donation by Avesis, a Guardian Company. The outreach and education initiative will promote better oral health care for pregnant and parenting women…
Markey’s ACTION program develops cancer education curriculum for Appalachian schools
By Allison Perry After conducting a study to assess the need for cancer education materials in Appalachian Kentucky, members of the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center’s Appalachian Career Training in Oncology (ACTION) program worked with faculty from the UK College of Education to create a three-part cancer education curriculum for middle and high school teachers in the region. Kentucky…