News

Published on April 23, 2020
By Barbara Mantel, Rural Health Quarterly

Residents of rural America are dying at a higher rate from cardiovascular disease and stroke than their counterparts in urban areas, a gap that has widened in the past decade. It is one reason why life expectancy among rural residents, on average, is three years less than among urban populations.

Kentucky Homeplace Community Health Workers (CHWs) are working remotely to assist clients with a wide range of important services during COVID-19, including helping people complete their 2020 Census online.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced that the University of Kentucky Center of Excellence in Rural Health will receive $3,878,582 to bolster the healthcare efforts of 46 rural hospitals in combating the coronavirus pandemic. These federal funds, distributed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration, were made available by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

HAZARD, Ky.

(LOUISVILLE, KY - March 25, 2020) "Prepare, protect, disinfect" is the theme of a public service announcement campaign released today by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky and the Kentucky Medical Association in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The three, 30-second PSAs are available free of charge, and are designed to reinforce critical public health messages that will help prevent the spread of the virus, which could overwhelm Kentucky's health care system.

An important message from the Director of the UK Center of Excellence in Rural Health

During this challenging time, the UK Center of Excellence in Rural Health is implementing precautions and preventive measures to minimize the risk of exposure to the coronavirus (COVID-19).

Kentucky communities and residents can look here for reliable and accurate information about the coronavirus (COVID-19). Stay informed by following the Kentucky Department of Public Health recommendations.

WWW.KYCOVID19.KY.GOV

The UK Center of Excellence in Rural Health (CERH) and the UK Center for Clinical and Translation Science (CCTS) have postponed the Community Leadership Institute of Kentucky (CLIK) training dates scheduled for the month of April. Out of concern and caution for the safety and health of our CLIK participants, faculty, mentors and staff we are adhering to the advice of our public health officials, CDC and Governor Beshear related to COVID-19.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 25, 2020) — It's a daunting but necessary task — serving the most vulnerable members of our community. In a world filled with social injustices and inequality, communities need continued support.  

The College of Social Work at the University of Kentucky is embarking on a strategy to improve Kentucky communities and the lives of the families who call those communities home.

College of Social Work Dean Jay Miller has been named 2020 Social Worker of the Year.

The University of Kentucky Center of Excellence in Rural Health and the UK CCTS Community Engagement and Research Program are requesting applications for the 2020 Community Leadership Institute of Kentucky (CLIK). CLIK is a 4-week intensive leadership development training program offered in Hazard, Kentucky.  It is designed to enhance research and capacity-building competencies in community leaders, senior staff, directors and administrators. 

Ana Stone is an achiever. At only 20-years-old, she’s already graduated with her bachelor’s degree in medical laboratory science and is now a member of the University of Kentucky College of Health Sciences' Physician Assistant Studies Class of 2022. 

UK-Center for Appalachian Research in Environmental Science and UK Center of Excellence in Rural Health
2020 Community Engagement Award
Call for Nominations 

Today, University of Kentucky officials provided updates on the recently launched Kentucky Viral Hepatitis Treatment Project (KeY Treat), a three-year, $15 million study co-funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) with the ultimate goal of eradicating the hepatitis C virus (HCV) in Perry County, Kentucky.

UnitedHealthcare (UHC) and the University of Kentucky Center of Excellence in Rural Health (UK CERH) announced a gift to support the first-ever Students Striving Toward Better Health in Self and Community initiative, available to Perry County and Hazard Independent high school students. Students enrolling in the program will receive tuition-free education and training for the community health worker certification. UK CERH will be the lead in the development, coordination and execution of content and programming with UHC providing expertise and support resources.

A recently published a report on the failing water system of Martin County in Eastern Kentucky finds that almost half of the county’s residents cannot afford their current water service. Residents and county advocates are now asking for a termination in rate increases, as they are already paying some of the highest water bills in the state.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. and TAMPA, Fla. (Oct. 4, 2019) – A pilot program in eastern Kentucky designed to remove barriers to healthcare services has shown promising results, including a reduction in emergency room (ER) visits and hospital admissions among a group of nearly 2,000 rural Kentuckians.

HAZARD, Ky. (Sept. 11, 2019) — Kentucky’s newly appointed Commissioner of Public Health Dr. Angela T. Dearinger will speak at the fifth annual Appalachian Research Day: Come Sit on the Porch. The University of Kentucky Center of Excellence in Rural Health (CERH) hosts this one-day event each year to bring attention to health disparities research in Appalachia. Appalachian Research Day will be held Wednesday, Sept. 18 at the First Federal Center in Hazard.