The Center of Excellence in Rural Health

The UK Center of Excellence in Rural Health was established in 1990 to address health disparities in rural Kentucky, including a chronic shortage of health professionals and residents’ poor health status. The Center accomplishes this through health professionals education, health policy research, health care service and community engagement. The Center serves as the federally designated Kentucky Office of Rural Health (KORH). This program provides a framework for linking small rural communities with local, state and federal resources while working toward long-term solutions to rural health issues. Kentucky Homeplace was created by the Center to address health issues related to lifestyle choices, environmental factors, inadequate health insurance and general lack of understanding of the healthcare system. Their mission is to provide access to medical, social and environmental services for the citizens of the Commonwealth. The Center houses the UK North Fork Valley Community Health Center, the host clinic for the East Kentucky Family Medicine Residency Program.