Kentucky Office of Rural Health

03/17/2026

🏥 🚑 ED transfers are high-stakes—and strong communication matters.

Join the Kentucky Office of Rural Health and Stroudwater Associates for:
Mastering the EDTC Measure: A Kentucky CAH Learning Collaborative

📅 April 30, 2026
⏰ 12:00 p.m. CT / 1:00 p.m. ET
🔗 Register here: https://bit.ly/3NmRzRc
💡 Cost: Free
⚠️ Space is limited

For Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), achieving 100% compliance with the Emergency Department Transfer Communication (EDTC) measure can be challenging due to its “all-or-none” scoring.

The first meeting of this four-part learning collaborative will bring together Kentucky CAHs to strengthen ED transfer communication and improve care coordination. During this collaborative, participants will:

• Learn the EDTC quality measure and its requirements
• Share challenges and successful strategies with peers across Kentucky
• Explore ways to improve communication during ED transfers
• Identify opportunities to enhance patient safety and care coordination

You’ll also have the chance to connect with peers across the state and collaborate on real-world solutions.

Recommended audience: CAH leadership, quality improvement staff, emergency department leaders, and staff involved in transfer coordination.

📩 Questions? Contact Medina Tipton at medina.tipton@uky.edu

4-Part Learning Collaborative for Kentucky CAHs to work together to improve the Emergency Department Transfer Communication process

03/17/2026

🏦 What’s happening in Frankfort? Join the Kentucky Office of Rural Health and the Kentucky Rural Health Association on Friday, March 27, at 11 a.m. ET for a timely webinar covering proposed state-level legislation currently under consideration during the Kentucky General Assembly session, and what it could mean for rural hospitals, clinics, EMS, and communities across the Commonwealth.

👉 Register here: https://bit.ly/4bIe4tr

03/16/2026

📊 Rural Health Clinic Leaders: Your Cost Report Data Can Do More!

The Kentucky Office of Rural Health (KORH) and Stroudwater Associates are hosting a free webinar to introduce a new Rural Health Clinic Dashboard to help clinics turn cost report data into actionable insights.

📅 Date: March 30, 2026
⏰ Time: 2:00 p.m. CT / 3:00 p.m. ET
💡 Cost: Free to attend
🔗 Register here: bit.ly/4rxSMmn

During this session, you’ll learn how to:
• Review three years of trend data
• Compare your clinic to national benchmarks (25th, 50th, and 75th percentiles)
• Analyze key metrics such as Cost per FTE, Productivity, All-Inclusive Rate, Vaccination Costs, and Annual Visits per FTE
• Identify opportunities for improvement

Stroudwater advisory experts will provide a high-level walkthrough of the dashboard and explain how to interpret and apply your results. After the webinar, clinics can request their customized dashboard through the Stroudwater portal. 🔔 KORH will also sponsor five RHCs for in-depth access to their reports and additional guidance from Stroudwater!

This program is sponsored by KORH and funded through the Flex Grant.

Recommended audience: CEOs, CFOs, clinic managers, and staff involved in cost report preparation.

ℹ️ For more info, contact Medina Tipton at medina.tipton@uky.edu.

03/16/2026

🏥 Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) play a vital role in keeping health care accessible across Kentucky, and strong leadership and collaboration help them thrive.

At the 2026 KY HFMA Conference, KORH’s Medina Tipton moderated an insightful panel on the financial and operational challenges facing RHCs. The discussion highlighted real-world strategies and perspectives from leaders working on the front lines of rural care.

Panelists included:
• Stephanie Wooton, VP of Ambulatory Services, Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH)
• Jenny Cerwinske, Executive VP, T.J. Regional Health
• Sami Jo Robertson, Clinic Manager, Family Practice Associates and SCORHC Russell County Hospital

Together, they explored key issues impacting RHC performance and sustainability—and shared ideas for strengthening rural health care across Kentucky.

Thank you to these leaders for sharing their expertise and helping move the conversation forward. 👏

03/16/2026

🚨Time's running out!🚨

The Kentucky Office of Rural Health, in partnership with the Resuscitation Academy, will be hosting a one-day, free workshop (Monday, April 13) providing evidence-based training to improve out-of-hospital cardiac arrest resuscitation outcomes. Topics include: the science of CPR, telephone CPR, rapid dispatch, high-performance CPR, cardiac arrest data collection, and implementing best practices.

✅ Register NOW: https://bit.ly/kyra2026

🚩 And don't miss the opportunity for the optional second day of training (Tuesday, April 14), which allows attendees to participate in a High-Performance CPR Train the Trainer Workshop, designed to provide instruction, coaching, and feedback to professionals who want to teach.

🚑 911 Center Directors, Medical Directors, EMS Chiefs, Quality Improvement Managers, and Training Officers are all encouraged to attend!

ℹ Contact Rural Project Manager Scott Helle at scott.helle@uky.edu for more info!

03/13/2026

👍 Great conversations about strengthening Kentucky’s workforce this week in Hazard!

Kentucky Office of Rural Health team members Amelia Holliday, communications specialist and Janice Vance, student loan repayment and workforce specialist, attended the Continuing Education Lunch and Learn hosted by the University of Kentucky College of Social Work at the UK Center of Excellence in Rural Health in Hazard this week.

The event brought together social work and criminal justice professionals to connect with colleagues and earn continuing education credits while discussing important topics impacting their work and communities. Students were also able to discuss opportunities for student loan repayment and working in rural once they have earned their degrees, like the National Health Service Corps.

Opportunities like this help strengthen collaboration across, an important step in supporting the health and well-being of rural Kentucky.

03/13/2026

📣 Health care providers — ready to reduce your student debt?

Less debt means more time to focus on your future goals. The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Loan Repayment Programs are designed to help you do just that.

💲 Eligible clinicians can receive substantial student loan repayment support while serving communities in need.

➡ Learn more about which program is right for you and apply today: https://ow.ly/K6qb50Y5EHC

📧 Questions? Contact Janice Vance at janice.vance@uky.edu
to explore your options in Kentucky.

🔔 Important: Be sure to sign up for NHSC email updates at nhsc.hrsa.gov/subscribe-to-emails to receive announcements about application openings, deadlines, and program updates.

03/13/2026

HAPPENING TODAY: 🏦 What’s happening in Frankfort? Join the Kentucky Office of Rural Health and the Kentucky Rural Health Association on Friday, March 13, at 11 a.m. ET for a timely webinar covering proposed state-level legislation currently under consideration during the Kentucky General Assembly session, and what it could mean for rural hospitals, clinics, EMS, and communities across the Commonwealth.

👉 Register here: https://bit.ly/4bIe4tr

03/12/2026

🚨Don't miss your chance to register! 🚨

The Kentucky Office of Rural Health, in partnership with the Resuscitation Academy, will be hosting a one-day, free workshop (Monday, April 13) providing evidence-based training to improve out-of-hospital cardiac arrest resuscitation outcomes. Topics include: the science of CPR, telephone CPR, rapid dispatch, high-performance CPR, cardiac arrest data collection, and implementing best practices.

✅ Register NOW: https://bit.ly/kyra2026

🚩 And don't miss the opportunity for the optional second day of training (Tuesday, April 14), which allows attendees to participate in a High-Performance CPR Train the Trainer Workshop, designed to provide instruction, coaching, and feedback to professionals who want to teach.

🚑 911 Center Directors, Medical Directors, EMS Chiefs, Quality Improvement Managers, and Training Officers are all encouraged to attend!

ℹ Contact Rural Project Manager Scott Helle at scott.helle@uky.edu for more info!

03/12/2026

TODAY: Are you applying for loan repayment? Get your application questions answered during today's help session!

📅 Q&A Session: Thursday, March 12, 1-5 p.m. ET
📅 Q&A Session: Wednesday, March 25, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. ET
📅 Q&A Session: Monday, March 30, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET

Find registration information on our website: https://ow.ly/avb950Y5EBq

03/12/2026

HAPPENING TOMORROW: 🏦 What’s happening in Frankfort? Join the Kentucky Office of Rural Health and the Kentucky Rural Health Association on Friday, March 13, at 11 a.m. ET for a timely webinar covering proposed state-level legislation currently under consideration during the Kentucky General Assembly session, and what it could mean for rural hospitals, clinics, EMS, and communities across the Commonwealth.

👉 Register here: https://bit.ly/4bIe4tr

03/11/2026

🎙🎧The Bridge is BACK with a ✨NEW episode✨ hot off the editing software!🎧🎙 Kentucky Office of Rural Health's The Bridge Podcast is tailor-made for 🩺health care professionals, 📑policymakers, and those passionate about improving ❤️health care access in rural areas!

Go to 🎧 buzzsprout.com/2363500/episodes/18814935 🎧 to check out our newest episode, "The RISE of Rural Recovery," where we talk with RISE Rural Project Manager and Apprenticeship Coordinator Josh Adams and Beacons of Hope Residential Coordinator Jordan Wi******er about how the RISE program is training Community Health Workers and Peer Support Specialists to support individuals and families affected by substance use disorder in rural Kentucky.

🔔Make sure to download The Bridge on your favorite streaming platform!

HCTC Workforce Kentucky Association of Community Health Workers UK Center of Excellence in Rural Health