The PILL Podcast

Join us for a compelling exploration into community health strategies with Dr. Rachel Hogg-Graham, Associate Professor at the University of Kentucky College of Public Health. In this insightful podcast, Dr. Hogg-Graham delves into the integration of health and social services, highlighting the pivotal role of community partnerships in addressing unmet social needs and improving population health outcomes. From discussing policies incentivizing social determinants of health (SDOH) strategies to navigating challenges in connecting patients to resources, Dr. Hogg-Graham offers invaluable insights and practical considerations for healthcare providers and organizations. Tune in for a thought-provoking conversation on building effective community collaborations and unlocking the potential of social needs screening to transform healthcare delivery. 

Kentucky REC advisor Lacy Shumway provides a comprehensive overview of the 3-year Coverdell Grant, focusing on its mission to enhance stroke care in collaboration with the CDC. She shares details behind the numbers in Kentucky's application for the grant: addressing high stroke mortality rates and risk factors. Explore the seven strategies implemented by the Coverdell Grant, formally known as the Paul Coverdell National Acute Stroke Program, including: HTN control; quality improvement; education; and EMS collaboration. Lacy discusses data collection challenges and the critical role of ZIP CODES in the Social Deprivation Index (SDI). Uncover the system-wide impact of the grant, addressing challenges and bridging geographical gaps in stroke care across Kentucky. Get ready for an engaging discussion that unveils the transformative impact of the Coverdell Grant on the future of stroke care in the Bluegrass State!Lacy Shumway is the Program Manager for the Paul Coverdell National Acute Stroke Program at the Kentucky Regional Extension Center, University of Kentucky. With 13 years in healthcare, Lacy's expertise includes 7 years as Coordinator for Stroke Program Outreach at Norton Healthcare. She successfully marketed the stroke program and developed a pre-hospital stroke education training offered across Kentucky and Southern Indiana. Lacy serves as Vice-Chair of the Cardiac and Stroke Subcommittee at the Kentucky Board of EMS, and is the Chair of the EMS and Education Committee with the Stroke Encounter Quality Improvement Program (SEQIP). A graduate of Indiana University, Lacy brings a wealth of knowledge to our discussion. Tune in for an informative exploration of stroke care advancements in Kentucky!

Andrew Bledsoe is back with another exciting episode! Join Brent McKune as he sits down with the Kentucky State HIT Director and KHIE Deputy Executive Director again. Gain a comprehensive overview of KHIE's role in facilitating health data exchange, with a special focus on the Image Exchange component. If you're a healthcare organization looking to connect, find out how KHIE can assist you on this journey. Tune in for valuable insights into enhancing healthcare interoperability and ensuring seamless data exchange.

Cohosts Brent McKune and Stephen Williams of the Kentucky REC proudly introduce Episode 11 of Kentucky REC's PILL Podcast. In this episode, they sit down with KY State HIT Director and KHIE Deputy Executive Director, Andrew Bledsoe, to delve into the significance of Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) in healthcare and the state of Kentucky's efforts to address them. Learn more about KHIE at their website, KHIE.ky.gov.Episode Highlights:Unpacking the vital concept of SDoH and their pivotal role in healthcare.Gaining insights into Kentucky's unique SDoH challenges and the proactive measures taken to tackle them.Exploring the integration of kynect resources with KHIE and its advantages for healthcare organizations.Understanding the challenges that KHIE faces and its vision for the future

Learn how the Kentucky Health Information Exchange is leading the HIE marketplace with innovative services and advancing interoperability in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Learn more about KHIE at their website, KHIE.ky.gov 

This episode of the PILL Podcast examines the succes of Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support (DSMES). DSMES can help you learn to manage your diabetes as part of your daily life. DSME is proven to:Improve blood sugar control leading to decreased risk for diabetes complicationsIncrease self-confidence about taking care of your diabetesIncrease healthy eating and physical activityImprove quality of lifeLynette Renner interviews a patient, Samuel Stidham with input from Dr. Kristen Stakelin. 

In the return of the PILL Podcast, Brent McKune, the new Managing Director of the Kentucky REC and PILL Podcast co-host, talks to Cassy Hobbs and Kristin Munro-Leighton about Team-Based Care in regards to the management of blood pressure and reducing hypertension. Cassy Hobbs is an Associate Professor at the Sullivan University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.  She has been with Sullivan for 9 years since receiving her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Kentucky.  Cassy is a board-certified ambulatory care pharmacist and licensed diabetes educator.  She is responsible for classroom teaching, as well as training pharmacy students during experiential rotations at Family Health Centers, a large federally qualified health center system in Louisville, KY.  Cassy and her students work with patients who have chronic diseases, such as hypertension and diabetes, to achieve better control through appropriate medication use, lifestyle modifications and implementation of preventative strategies.  Kristin Munro-Leighton is the Director of Health Education at Family Health Centers.  She received her Master of Public Health from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill.  Kristin has been with Family Health Centers for 15 years, designing and implementing programs focusing on healthy eating, physical activity, smoking cessation, management of chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes, and child safety.  Music & Editing by Nate Brooks

In our new episode of the PILL podcast, Trudi speaks with Dr. James Keck, a Family Medicine and Preventive Medicine board certified physician who cares for patients in the University of Kentucky Family Medicine Clinic. He supervises, trains, and educates medical students and Family and Preventive Medicine Residents at the UK clinic and UK hospital. Recently, Dr. Keck and colleagues implemented several strategies to promote Diabetes Prevention Program referrals from primary care colleagues to the UK Diabetes Prevention Program. He discusses the diagnosis of “prediabetes”, including who should be screened, how it is diagnosed, and next steps to avoid diabetes.  The National Diabetes Prevention Program (National DPP) is a partnership of public and private organizations working to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes. Partners make it easier for people at risk for type 2 diabetes to participate in evidence-based lifestyle change programs to reduce their risk of type 2 diabetes. Kentucky has 55 recognized National Diabetes Prevention Program organizations serving 80 counties with in person classes. We also have online or distance learning locations covering all 120 counties. To find out more go to CHFS.KY.gov and search for Diabetes prevention programs.   If you need assistance with quality improvement call the Kentucky REC at 859-323-3090 or email us at kyrec@uky.edu. Check out our website at www.kentuckyrec.com. For specific Quality Payment Program assistance, enroll in our online resource center at www.qppresourcecenter.org.Royalty Free Music from Bensound 

In this episode of the PILL podcast, Trudi interviews Hank Kerschen, a healthcare executive experienced in multi-specialty group practices and integrated delivery systems. He excels in group development, strategic planning, relationship management, and project management. He discusses the process and benefits of joining an Accountable Care Organization (ACO), and the journey of St. Elizabeth to participate in a value-based care model. He also addresses how to navigate being in both of the healthcare reimbursement worlds of fee-for-service and value-based care at the same time.If you need assistance with quality improvement call the Kentucky REC at 859-323-3090 or email us at kyrec@uky.edu. Check out our website at www.kentuckyrec.com. For specific Quality Payment Program assistance, enroll in our online resource center at www.qppresourcecenter.org.Royalty Free Music from Bensound 

In this episode of the PILL podcast, we interview Dr. Ken Wilson, an Executive Consultant for Norton Healthcare in Louisville, KY.  Dr. Wilson has years of experience leading complex implementation efforts. He provides unique insight from a strategic perspective of change in a large health system within a competitive marketplace.He is also a leader in the enterprise-wide adoption of the Patient-Centered Medical Home model at Norton Healthcare. He previously served as the System Vice President for Clinical Effectiveness & Quality. During his years in this position, Dr. Wilson had oversight over Norton’s quality program. In his spare time, he travels internationally to help improve medical care. He has traveled to Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, and other countries. If you need assistance with quality improvement call the Kentucky REC at 859-323-3090 or check out our website at www.kentuckyrec.com. For specific Quality Payment Program assistance, check out our online resource center at www.qppresourcecenter.orgRoyalty Free Music from Bensound 

Dr. Roberto Cardarelli, Chief of the Division of Population Medicine and Chair of the Department of Family and Community Medicine at UK HealthCare is a Quality Improvement Guru. He is an expert in Population Health, which Wikipedia defines as: "the health outcomes of a group of individuals, including the distribution of such outcomes within the group. It is an approach to health that aims to improve the health of an entire human population.”In our interview, he explains why population health management is so important, especially for states like Kentucky, which struggles with poor health outcomes. He takes population health management, a seemingly huge task, and breaks it into small, bite-size pieces: access and analyze your data; start with small tests of change; look at TCM (Transitional Care Management) and CCM (Chronic Care Management) to increase reimbursements; and lastly, be creative.

In this special bonus episode of The PILL Podcast, Trudi Matthews interviews two of Kentucky Regional Extension Center’s subject matter experts, Robin Huffman and Kelly Fountain. These two quality experts break down the major changes to Year 3 in the Quality Payment Program. This overview will help our listeners understand the challenges they face under MACRA in 2019.

In this episode of the PILL podcast, we interview Dr. Chris Yost, Medical Director for Ambulatory Quality at UK HealthCare, Assistant Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, and Co-Chair of the UK HealthCare MACRA steering committee. Dr. Yost brings a unique perspective as he leads the initiatives to improve quality and value in a large academic medical center. He not only plays a key role in UK HealthCare’s preparation for value-based payment and quality improvement, but he is also a practicing physician. This makes him better able to handle the key issues of physician buy-in and engagement, which are required for true organizational transformation. He also discusses the journey of leading the charge for Patient-Centered Medical Home recognition and discusses how this designation helps lay a strong foundation for the larger quality improvement infrastructure. If you need assistance with quality improvement call the Kentucky REC at 859-323-3090 or check out our website at www.kentuckyrec.com. For specific Quality Payment Program assistance, check out our online resource center at www.qppresourcecenter.org.

In the first full-length episode of The PILL Podcast, Karen Ditsch, CEO of Juniper Health in Eastern Kentucky, tells you about her own journey in becoming a quality improvement star. Karen talks about how she started with quality improvement and how it ultimately led to better patient care. She discusses the importance of data-driven decision making and how she used her Electronic Health Record to help achieve improved outcomes, offering some important lessons that you can take back to your organization and implement. If you need assistance with quality improvement, call the Kentucky REC at 859-323-3090 or check out our website at www.kentuckyrec.com. For specific Quality Payment Program assistance, check out our online resource center at www.qppresourcecenter.org.

Presented by UK Healthcare, an introduction to the Kentucky Regional Extension Center's discussion of Quality Improvement

In our second episode of the PILL podcast focused on diabetes prevention and treatment, Trudi speaks with Dr. Tamea Evans, a 2003 graduate of the University of Kentucky College of Medicine. Dr Evans is an Internal Medicine physician and diabetologist who is passionate about helping patients with long term illness get the tools and knowledge they need in order to get and stay well. Listen as she shares what it means to be "blessed by bad" and how doctors can be rewarded for doing a good job. This episode includes a focus on diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES), a fundamental but underutilized element of diabetes care. Kentucky has around 95 recognized or accredited DSMES programs and branches serving 88 counties across the Commonwealth. To find locations go to https://prdweb.chfs.ky.gov/KYDiabetesResources/ and search for “Nationally Recognized or Accredited Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support Classes”.  If you need assistance with quality improvement call the Kentucky REC at 859-323-3090 or email us at kyrec@uky.edu. Check out our website at www.kentuckyrec.com. For specific Quality Payment Program assistance, enroll in our online resource center at www.qppresourcecenter.org. Royalty Free Music from Bensound