LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 22, 2023) — UK Healthcare, its outreach and innovation arm, the Kentucky Regional Extension Center (REC), and other state partners have been awarded an Innovative Cardiovascular Health Program by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. The five-year award focuses on comprehensive efforts to identify and address health care disparities in cardiovascular disease (CVD) and improve outcomes, particularly related to high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
“This award comes at a great time, as Kentucky has one of the highest rates of cardiovascular disease in the nation,” said Vedant Gupta, M.D., a cardiologist at the UK Gill Heart and Vascular Institute and co-principal investigator on the study. “Heart disease is the leading cause of death in Kentucky, accounting for more than 1,500 deaths per 100,000 people annually. Kentuckians have high rates of health habits and conditions that lead to cardiovascular disease, including smoking, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, excessive alcohol consumption and physical inactivity, so we are pleased that this project will expand our efforts to improve the cardiovascular health of Kentuckians.”
The Federation is 10thNumber Kentucky has the most census tracts in the nation with a crude prevalence of hypertension above 53%. Twenty census tracts in Kentucky are the focus of this work. The majority are in Jefferson County, concentrated in six ZIP codes northwest of Louisville. The remaining two census tracts are in Christian and McCracken counties in the western part of the state.
UK Gill Cardiovascular Institute already has partnerships with area hospitals in both Jefferson and McCracken counties through the Gill Affiliate Network. The statewide affiliations leverage Gill’s cardiovascular specialists and experts to provide the most comprehensive services, diagnostic evaluations and treatment strategies in the region.
By targeting areas with high rates of hypertension, the research team aims to strategically reduce health disparities and improve health outcomes for people living in these areas, and to scale and disseminate evidence-based practices to health care providers and other support personnel, maximizing impact in areas where it is needed most.
“There has been a lot of great work being done across the state to improve care for people with CVD, and this funding provides an opportunity for a coordinated effort to provide support and improve processes to ensure high-quality care,” said Brent McKeown, managing director of Kentucky REC and principal investigator on the grant.
UK’s Kentucky REC is a unique resource in Kentucky, accelerating healthcare transformation through innovation, performance improvement and technical support for a wide range of healthcare organizations across Kentucky, including large health systems, rural and critical access hospitals and practices of all sizes within the healthcare community.
The project has three strategies to improve CVD care.
- It tracks and monitors clinical measures shown to improve health and quality of care while identifying patients in targeted areas with high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
- Implement team-based care to prevent, detect, control, and manage CVD.
- It connects community resources and clinical services that support a comprehensive system for further care.
Kentucky REC will lead efforts to implement all three of these strategies while providing technical support to help hospitals use electronic health records and promote the use of health information systems.
“UK Healthcare’s mission is to ensure that Kentuckians do not have to travel outside of our state to receive health care, and our strength lies in how we diagnose and treat disease through advanced specialty care, especially when it comes to cardiovascular care,” said Robert S. DiPaola, M.D., UK president and co-vice chancellor for health affairs. “This grant will help us deliver on our promise to advance Kentucky by supporting world-class scientists, educators, researchers and practitioners.”
With a focus on health equity in diverse communities, a heart disease and stroke focused learning collaborative will be built through a multidisciplinary partnership comprised of public health agencies, health care providers, and community leaders working to address and implement evidence-based practices for the prevention, detection, control, and management of CVD in these priority populations.
The learning collective will specifically address the project’s strategy by focusing on developing innovative approaches to improve overall cardiovascular health and serving as a hub for applying those approaches to mitigating social and other relevant determinants of health.
This strengthens efforts to expand care teams beyond medical facilities to include community health professionals, community health workers, social workers, patient navigators, pharmacists and other care team members.
One of our local partner organizations is Have a Heart Clinic in Louisville, whose mission is to improve the health of the local community by providing cardiovascular care, collaborative support services, health screenings and education to adult patients regardless of ability to pay or insurance coverage.
“The goal of this initiative is to ensure that patients in this underserved region have access to the same level of medical care and education as all other communities,” said Dr. Michael Imbursia of Have a Heart Clinic.
The project will also work to increase the use of standardized processes and tools, such as GIS and other geographic mapping tools, to identify, assess, track and address social service and support needs. The team will also raise awareness of the benefits of home blood pressure monitoring with clinical support.
“We look forward to this exciting work and to leading the way in improving CVD-related care for Kentuckians,” Gupta said.
This project is part of a $1 million grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), with 0% funding from non-governmental agencies. The content is those of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views or endorsement of CDC, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit: CDC.gov.
About the UK Kentucky Regional Extension Center (Kentucky REC)
UK HealthCare Kentucky REC helps healthcare organizations, large and small, transform to better serve patients. Kentucky REC specializes in advising and consulting on federal and state healthcare initiatives and government healthcare regulations for all organizations across the state, including large health systems, rural and critical access hospitals and physician practices of all sizes. Kentucky REC employs experts who help healthcare organizations comply with changing federal regulations and national initiatives such as HIPAA, Advancing Interoperability, MACRA and value-based payment, quality improvement, data validation, telehealth, patient-centered home health and specialty care.
About UK Healthcare Gill Cardiovascular Institute
UK Gill Cardiovascular Institute is at the forefront of the fight against heart disease and stroke in Kentucky and is nationally recognized as a leader in advancing the treatment and prevention of cardiovascular disease. Gill’s comprehensive approach to heart and vascular health begins with promoting cardiovascular health and extends to treating life-threatening complications using the latest therapies and equipment. The Institute’s multidisciplinary clinical team includes board-certified adult and pediatric cardiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons, vascular surgeons, cardiac radiologists and cardiac anesthesiologists working in state-of-the-art facilities at UK Albert B. Chandler Hospital. The comprehensive cardiovascular program features some of the most sophisticated imaging capabilities in the region, as well as cutting-edge interventional cardiology procedures, including minimally invasive approaches to heart disease, superior surgical services for health and vascular disease, cardiopulmonary rehabilitation and wellness programs.
