A plan for addressing dramatically growing health, education and workforce needs across the state called the Advancing Kentucky Together Network was approved Friday by the University of Kentucky Board of Trustees.

The network will invest millions of dollars in new resources and intellectual property by UK HealthCare as part of the establishment of a new model to advance health – health care outcomes, workforce training and education – across the state. The Advancing Kentucky Together Network will start with clinical partnerships and then expand into other areas, depending upon the needs of partners.

The creation of the Advancing Kentucky Together Network was approved as part of a resolution adopted by the UK Board of Trustees at its annual retreat. The resolution directed UK President Eli Capilouto to take steps focused on accelerating the university’s efforts to improve the overall health of the Commonwealth.

Pikeville Medical Center has expressed its intent to support and participate as the first member of the network.

“UK has an opportunity — and, we believe, a responsibility — to be the university in this country that does the most for the health of the state it serves. As such, we must be, and we are, focused squarely and strategically on the holistic health needs of the state,” Capilouto said. “Doing that successfully is the single most important way we can advance this state.”

Specifically, the Advancing Kentucky Together Network will focus on supporting partners that become part of the network by sharing expertise in tracking, measuring and documenting patient outcomes, enhancing educational opportunities for Kentucky’s workforce, research and training and expanding community outreach for more patients to access as much of their care as close to their home as possible.

“Policymakers and partners alike are asking us to expand existing partnerships and explore new affiliations that would support their efforts to help Kentucky grow and prosper,” said UK Board Chair Britt Brockman. “This endeavor is a continued examination of both significant opportunities and challenges confronting the state.”

The creation of the network aligns with UK HealthCare’s longstanding commitment to:

• Keep patients close to home when possible and appropriate.
• Support the education, retention and recruitment of Kentucky’s workforce.
• Extend UK resources and expertise where there is an expressed need to continuously improve health outcomes and increase workforce opportunities.
• Collaborate with partners and communities in ways that improve an organization’s ability to track health outcomes and grow clinical services for both UK HealthCare and the community health partner.

Some examples of how the Advancing Kentucky Together Network would support its affiliates include:

• Reducing the burden on patients and their families by keeping patients close to home when possible and reducing wait times to get into subspecialty clinics.
• Linkage to UK’s clinical expertise and relationships with UK faculty, including access to clinical subspecialty expertise when appropriate.
• Providing resources including clinical program development managers, patient outcome metric training and education, compliance and risk management, and purchasing.

UK’s existing affiliations that have developed over the last 20 years will remain in place in critical clinical service line areas such as cancer, heart and stroke. Those affiliate relationships will continue to focus on disease and program-specific goals.

The new advanced network, in turn, will enhance overall support and collaboration and aid in providing such initiatives as:

• A Clinical Quality Program that will provide leadership in improving quality, safety, efficiency and experience in patient care.
• Workforce, Education, Research and Training that will be directly tied to UK’s seven health professions colleges as well as other University resources.
• Community Outreach and Education aimed at enhancing the availability of care through access to UK’s clinical outreach program development project team.
• UK HealthCare Branding for approved co-branding opportunities.

“Advancing Kentucky is our way of creating and sustaining a stronger and healthier Commonwealth and a better country and world,” Capilouto said. “This is our mission — to do and be more for the state that we serve in a spirit of partnership and support of so many who share this vision.”