Upcoming & Past Meetings
Click on the Coalitions below to view upcoming meeting details, as well as summaries of past meetings. While the counties are divided into coalitions, all are welcome to attend any of the meetings.
KY1 Community Coalition will meet virtually on February 24, 2026, from 8:00 – 9:00 AM CT (9:00 – 10:00 am ET). The agenda will kick off with a presentation on the community coalition framework that will guide the coalition work in the coming years. The coalition is currently focused on nutrition, food insecurity and healthy eating behaviors. Invitations have gone out to speakers to talk about cooking classes for chronic illnesses and mobile food banks. More details to come!
Counties in KY1: Ballard, Caldwell, Calloway, Carlisle, Christian, Crittenden, Fulton, Graves, Hickman, Livingston, Lyon, Marshall, McCracken, and Trigg, but all are welcome to attend!
KY1 Purchase Area Community Coalition met virtually on Tuesday, September 23, 2025. The meeting began with discussion around the mission and vision for the community coalition and determined that the mission of the KY1 Community Coalition is to bring together community resources to effect change in Western Kentucky’s population health. The vision is to increase health in KY1 through community education, engagement, and advocacy for nutrition and healthy eating behaviors. Laura Weddle, KY SNAP Program Director, presented on recent federal changes to the SNAP-Ed, how those changes can potentially impact participants and communities, and the plan to move forward in continuing to provide nutrition education services. In addition, Lorie Brown, WIC Coordinator with Purchase District Health Department, presented on WIC benefits, including WIC farmers market programs and an overview on Senior Citizens Farmers Market Benefits. The presentations rolled into a discussion around kynect resources, the top referrals in the KY1 area and other programs of interest to the coalition. The coalition decided to meet quarterly and will invite esteemed speakers to present on resource referral services, data collection on food insecurity and Food is Medicine programs.
KY2 Central Community Coalition will meet virtually on March 17, 2026, from 2:00 – 3:00 PM ET. The agenda will kick off with a presentation on the community coalition framework that will guide the coalition work in the coming years. In addition to this topic, speakers have been invited to share SNAP benefits for Farmers Markets and a local food box program and ways to implement within the community. More details to come!
Counties in KY2: Breckinridge, Bullitt, Grayson, Hardin, Jefferson, Larue, Marion, Meade, Nelson, Oldham, Shelby, Spencer, and Washington, but all are welcome to attend!
KY2 Central Community Coalition met virtually on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, at 1:00 pm ET. Catherine Hines, Research Project Manager at the Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center (KIPRC), educated the coalition on how to navigate and utilize FindHelpNow.Org. FindHelpNow.org is a website designed to assist community members looking for services around substance use, mental health, behavioral health, recovery housing, and community-based supports. The website searches for the services closest to the zip code of the person seeking services and showcases the services currently accepting new patients. Once a service is selected, the website shows what the application process looks like, what supports are provided by the service, which population is served, and how to get connected. The website can be utilized by case managers, family members, friends, or any member of a community who requires assistance for themselves; no referral needed!
Next on the agenda was highlighting local organizations that can be a resource to community members. Rebecca Stutsman, Director of Advancement with Seven Counties, kicked us off with discussing their holiday meals and community events that support families and children during the holidays. As a reminder, Seven Counties is a Community Mental Health Center (CMHC) which provides mental health, addiction recovery, developmental disabilities, and other services to the community. Christa Shouse, Chief Executive Officer with United Way Central Kentucky, shared the ways her organization supports the community through providing funding support to community-based organizations and connecting community members with support services through 2-1-1. Residents located in Hardin, Breckenridge, Grayson, LaRue, and Meade counties can dial 2-1-1 to receive free, 24-hour information about community health and social services. 2-1-1 provides information on basic needs services, mental and physical health resources, counseling, employment assistance and more!
Melanie Landrum, KHA Senior Vice President, Data, Operations and Innovations, drew the coalition meeting to a conclusion by sharing the workforce recruitment resources KHA has developed to encourage high schoolers to consider a health care career upon graduating. To watch the video shared during the meeting, visit: https://www.kyha.com/workforce/put-me-in-coach-campaign/ and check out KHA’s workforce website to see all the ways KHA is engaging in health care workforce recruitment and retention.
The next KY3 Talyor/Lake Cumberland Community Coalition will be April 28, 2026, at TJ Health Columbia. Stay tuned for more meeting details. See you there!
Counties in KY3: Adair, Casey, Clinton, Cumberland, Green, McCreary, Pulaski, Russell, Taylor, Wayne, but all are welcome to attend!
KY3 Taylor/Lake Cumberland Community Coalition met virtually on January 27, 2026, from 12:00 – 1:00 pm ET. Claire Arant, Director, Community Outreach and External Communication for the Kentucky Hospital Association (KHA), presented the Community Coalition Framework and the priorities for the years ahead. The mission of the coalitions is to build stronger, healthier communities across Kentucky by bringing together health care and community-based organizations to discuss gaps in transitions of care, empowering community members to self-manage their chronic illnesses, and address social drivers of health, and mental health and substance use disorders. The coalition expressed support for the framework.
Bryon Ellis, KHA’s Associate Vice President of Government Relations, shared with the coalition a brief summary of bills proposed during the 2026 Kentucky General Assembly that could impact the health care landscape in Kentucky. Some of these bills relate to topics such as Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE), Certificate of Need, and Medicaid. For more information on important legislative happenings, please reach out to Mr. Ellis at bellis@kyha.com.
Jillian Shaw, Program Coordinator for kynect Resources, presented an overview of kynect resources to the coalition. Kynect Resources, in partnership with United Way, was developed with the primary mission of bringing together community partners and commonwealth agencies into a comprehensive, single platform that connects Kentuckians to needed services. Kynect Resources is a free, online, statewide director available to those living in Kentucky and assists with a referral management system to ensure close loop referrals for residents and organizations. To access the website and see the services offered, please visit https://www.kynect.ky.gov/resources/
Melanie Landrum, KHA’s Senior Vice President of Data, Operations, and Innovations, presented the KHA workforce recruitment videos. The custom media offering is especially geared toward middle and high school students to encourage them to consider health care as a career choice when they are finished with high school. This video has been shared on social media and has already received several thousand views. Please feel free to share with your colleagues and friends.
Put Me In Coach Campaign – KYHA
Additionally, KHA has worked to build promotional videos and career pathways for Medical Laboratory Technicians and Medical Laboratory Scientist and Respiratory Therapists to encourage students to consider a career in allied health professions. Links to those resources are provided below.
Medical Laboratory Technician and Medical Laboratory Scientist Website
KY4 Bluegrass Community Coalition will meet in person on March 11, 2026, from 8:00 – 9:30 AM ET, at Morning Pointe of Lexington. The agenda will kick off with a presentation on the community coalition framework that will guide the coalition work in the coming years. Next, we have invited speakers on diabetes management, Food is Medicine, and the Double Dollars program. Stay tuned for more details!
Counties in KY4: Anderson, Boyle, Fayette, Franklin, Garrard, Harrison, Jessamine, Lincoln, Madison, Mercer, Rockcastle, Scott, and Woodford, but all are welcome to attend!
KY4 Bluegrass Community Coalition met virtually due to inclement weather on Wednesday, December 3, 2026, at 8:00 am ET. This exciting meeting was packed with incredible speakers, with the first being Austin Roush. Austin Roush, Advanced Practice Paramedic, Market Director of Paramedicine, for CHI Saint Joseph Health presented on their Community Paramedicine program. This program focuses on being more than just a visit to patients; it helps with in-home patient needs and assessments, medication reconciliation with the patient’s provider, disease-specific education and post-discharge support. In addition to these points of focus, the program has seen success with decreasing 7-day and 30-day readmissions and significant financial savings through the interventions employed. As the program continues to grow, it is looking to expand into rural areas, take advantage of technology where appropriate, increase referral pathways and add to their current funding sources.
After this insightful presentation, we invited behavioral health leaders from various backgrounds to share their community resources and services on a Behavioral Health Panel discussion. The panel was made up of Dr. Tiffany Arrows, New Vista, Caroline Kruer, SUN Behavioral, Jerian Petry, UofL Health – Peace Hospital, and Brook West, Voices of Hope. During the panel, the wide range of behavioral/mental and substance use support services available and needed within the community were both illuminated. In addition to sharing their organizations’ services and supports, the leaders gave the coalition attendees actionable advice for addressing holiday stressors, talking with patients/colleagues/loved ones on how to seek needed supportive services and utilizing self-care strategies to help us show up as our best selves for others.
Melanie Landrum, KHA Senior Vice President, Data, Operations and Innovations, drew the coalition meeting to a conclusion by sharing the workforce recruitment resources KHA has developed to encourage high schoolers to consider a health care career upon graduating. To watch the video shared during the meeting, visit: https://www.kyha.com/workforce/put-me-in-coach-campaign/ and check out KHA’s workforce website to see all the ways KHA is engaging in health care workforce recruitment and retention.
The next KY5 Fleming/Mason Community Coalition will be in July 2026. Stay tuned for details!
Counties in KY5: Counties: Bath, Bourbon, Boyd, Bracken, Carter, Clark, Elliott, Estill, Fleming, Greenup, Lawrence, Lewis, Mason, Menifee, Montgomery, Morgan, Nicholas, Powell, Robertson, Rowan, and Wolfe, but all are welcome to attend!
KY5 Fleming/Mason Community Coalition met virtually on January 30, 2026 from 11:30 – 1:00 pm ET. Claire Arant, Director, Community Outreach and External Communication for the Kentucky Hospital Association (KHA), led a discussion in which consensus was achieved regarding the Community Coalition Framework and the priorities for the years ahead. The mission of the coalitions is to build stronger, healthier communities across Kentucky by bringing together health care and community-based organizations to discuss gaps in transitions of care, empowering community members to self-manage their chronic illnesses, and address social drivers of health, and mental health and substance use disorders.
Next, three local organizations shared their resources offered to the community.
Ion Center, offers free, confidential support and services to victim-survivors who have experienced power-based personal violence. These services include a 24-hour hotline, emergency shelter, hospital advocacy, crisis support, law enforcement advocacy, safety planning, court advocacy, therapy, prevention education and pet protection. These services are available to anyone and any gender. Check out their website for more information, https://ioncenter.org/
Shepherd’s House, a faith-based organization which offers services to the community, including a food bank every 3rd Tuesday of the month, clothing bank every Tuesday, and furniture ministry based upon request. If you are interested in donating or need assistance, please call 606.301.1921.
Comprehend Inc. offers a wide array of resources and services to the community. These services include mental health, substance use disorder treatment, and intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) services. One of the programs highlighted was Bridgeway for IDD. Bridgeway serves adults with IDD in and around Maysville, KY, with the goal to provide care, education and employment opportunities so that clients can live empowered and fulfilling lives. In addition to that service, Bridgeway also, offers help with respite care and support for families and caregivers.
Corey Richard, Community Consultant – Central Kentucky, Kentucky Department for Public Health, presented the Kentucky Prescription Assistance Program (KPAP). KPAP helps qualifying individuals identify sources of free and low-cost medications offered by pharmaceutical companies. Staff members collaborate with medical personnel and community agencies such as churches, hospitals, and social services to provide information about KPAP. KPAP has saved Kentuckians $1 Billion since the program’s inception in 2008. If you are interested in becoming a KPAP partner, please visit the Cabinet for Health and Family Services website.
The next KY6&8 Eastern Kentucky Coalition meeting will be in April 2026. Stay tuned for details!
Counties in KY6&8: Bell, Breathitt, Clay, Floyd, Harlan, Jackson, Johnson, Knott, Knox, Laurel, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Magoffin, Martin, Owsley, Perry, Pike, Whitley, but all are welcome to attend.
KY6&8 Eastern Kentucky Community Coalition met Tuesday, January 20, 2026, from 2:00 – 3:00 pm ET via Teams. Claire Arant, Director, Community Outreach and External Communication for the Kentucky Hospital Association, presented on the community coalition framework for the years ahead. The mission of the coalitions is to build stronger, healthier communities across Kentucky and how the coalitions will do that is by bringing together health care and community-based organizations together to discuss gaps in transitions of care, empowering community members to self-manage their chronic illnesses, address social drivers of health, and mental health and substance use disorders. The coalition rallied around the shared ideas being exactly what the community needs.
Up next, Managed Care Organizations (MCO), Aetna, Molina by Passport Healthcare, and Wellcare, shared their member value benefits that Medicaid members have access to. The benefits span from assistance with food and wellness to gift cards for going for annual health care services. For a full list of the MCO’s benefits, please reach out to Claire Arant, carant@kyha.com, for their presentation.
Mark your calendar for the next KY7 Northern KY Community Coalition, which will meet virtually on March 5, 2026, from 9:00 – 10:00 AM ET. The agenda will be out shortly.
Counties in KY7: Boone, Campbell, Carroll, Gallatin, Grant, Henry, Kenton, Owen, Pendleton, and Trimble, but all are welcome to attend!
KY7 Northern KY Community Coalition is kicking off with a virtual meeting on Thursday, December 4, 2025, from 9:00 – 10:00 AM ET. The coalition hit the ground running with Morgan Bray showcasing Food is Medicine. Food is Medicine is an initiative between the Kentucky Hospital Association and the Kentucky Department for Agriculture to utilize locally grown foods as a resource for chronic disease management and access to healthier food choices. Ms. Bray educated the coalition on how hospitals have partnered with their local cooperative extension offices to host farmers markets onsite, giving access to local, healthy food for patients, staff and the community. In addition to farmers markets, has been identified by hospitals across the state that growers, leaders in agriculture, and food purchasing/service companies are coming together to have roundtable discussions to talk through partnerships at the local level. Since this work began, one hospital system shared that they have launched their hospital-branded burger made from lean Kentucky raised ground beef. The work continues to grow through food demonstration videos and networking events to spread the impact the program is having at a local level.
Next on the agenda was Tara Johnson-Noem, Executive Director for Northern Kentucky Area Development District (NKADD), presenting their Aging and Disability Services Food Insecurity programs for seniors. Within the last fiscal year, NKADD has home delivered ingredients to 842 seniors, who are unable to grocery shop but are able to stand long enough to prepare their meals. For seniors who aren’t able to prepare their meals, NKADD has brought congregated meals to 356 seniors in the last fiscal year. NKADD has two commodities programs: Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) and The Emergency Food Program (TEFAP). Through these programs, NKADD has supported 42 food panties and soup kitchens in the local area and processed 62,103 cases of food, valued at $2.2 million. To utilize these programs, community members are encouraged to call NKADD to find out more information or visit their website, nkadd.org.
The coalition concluded after a presentation from Dr. Erek Majka and Lacey Lykins on Advanced Care Planning, Medical Order for Scope of Treatment (MOST). Coalition members learned the importance of advanced care planning in honoring a patient’s values and goals while maintaining their quality of life. The MOST document assists with this by allowing a conversation between a patient and their physician to determine the patient’s preferences to receiving cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), medical interventions, artificially administered fluids and nutrition and antibiotics. Patients appropriate for the MOST document have an advanced chronic progressive illness and a life expectancy of less than one year and feel strongly that they want to further define their treatment preferences for end-of-life care.
Interested in learning more and getting involved?
KHA is collaborating with hospitals, health care providers, and community-based organizations to build stronger, healthier communities across Kentucky. In a shared effort to share resources on discuss how to improve transitions of care, chronic disease self-management, social drivers of health, health literacy, mental health and substance use disorder concerns within the community.
Community Coalition partners include but are not limited to area agencies on aging, area development districts, clinician practices, community mental health centers, community organizations active in disasters, EMS providers, faith-based organizations, fire departments, food pantries, federally qualified health clinics, health departments, home health, hospice agencies, hospitals, housing shelters, libraries, nursing homes, patients/families, patient advocacy organizations, pharmacies, research institutions and universities, rural clinics, senior housing, state and local agencies, substance use recovery organizations. If you or your organization make an impact on a community member’s life, we want to invite you to the coalition meetings.
Have questions? Want more information? Reach out to Claire Arant, carant@kyha.com.