You're Invited to KHA Severe Hyperglycemia and Hypoglycemia Office Hours!
The Kentucky Hospital Association Quality Team is pleased to announce the initiation of HRIP Glycemic- Severe Hyperglycemia and Severe Hypoglycemia- Metrics Office Hours on April 23 at 11 am ET. These calls will be held monthly and are in response to our identification of the criticality of correctly identifying glycemic care gaps to promote patient safety, regulatory compliance, and appropriate reimbursement.
With extensive knowledge of the glycemic metrics, Jessica Covington, PharmD, BCPS, CPHQ, understands the ongoing challenges posed by these evolving measures. This monthly office hour will adopt an interactive 'ask and answer' format. We will explore the rationale behind each case and review the established guidelines together.
This initiative is open to quality leaders, pharmacists, and any other parties who will be supporting or engaged in the HRIP Hypo- and Hyper-glycemic measures for 2026, so please extend this invitation to your quality managers, pharmacists, and any other colleagues who have an interest. Please come prepared with case-specific questions and together we can gain valuable insights on accurate practices. Kindly ensure that no identifiable personal information (aka PHI) is included in the cases discussed.
Please contact Jessica Covington at jcovington@kyha.com to join us or for more information.
The KHA Quality Team would like to congratulate Emily Selch with Frazier Rehab Institute for successfully earning her new credential as a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) through the National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ.) Emily passed her national certification exams following the completion of their KHA-sponsored preparation and study packages. Way to go, Emily!
The KHA Quality team is excited to announce a scholarship opportunity to earn the Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES) credentials! Earning the CDCES credentials will demonstrate a commitment to excellence in patient outcomes, distinguish you among your peers, enhance your career opportunities, and help improve the health of people living with diabetes. The KHA Quality team will enroll 10 participants of KHA member hospitals to sit for the CDCES exam, which is a $350 value! The deadline for applications is April 30th, 2026 at 5 PM ET.
Kentucky Department for Public Health Immunization Branch: Perinatal Hepatitis B Prevention
Kentucky Perinatal Quality Collaborative (KyPQC) is inviting you and your colleagues to the April Webinar, featuring the Kentucky Department for Public Health Immunization Branch. This team of experts will specifically discuss Hepatitis B Prevention as it relates to the perinatal period and the critical steps for health and well-being for Kentucky families.
TRAIN CE’s will be available for Nurses, Social Workers and Community Health Workers. Once the TRAIN Course Number is live, this will be included on the webinar and sent via the Zoom email reminder the day of the event. Please note that credit for this event must be obtained through TRAIN by registering for the course, and after the presentation, finishing the assessment and evaluation attached to the course. If you have any questions regarding TRAIN, you can contact kytrainsupport@ky.gov .
2026 “Just for Kids” Pediatric Symposium, July 23-24, 2026
The Olmsted
3701 Frankfort Ave.
Louisville, KY 40207
Thursday, July 23, 2026
5:30 p.m.: Registration and networking reception
6:30 to 8:30 p.m.: Dinner and educational program
Friday, July 24, 2026
8:30 a.m. to 12:55 p.m.
Livestreamed virtual conference
Each day features a unique agenda with clinical pearls and the latest advancements in managing common pediatric conditions. Thursday’s program will address the state of health of children in Kentucky, emerging drug trends and hot topics in dermatology. Friday’s topics will include clinical pearls for suicide risk assessment and safety planning, the latest in scoliosis care from screening to surgery, pediatric gastrointestinal essentials and more. Attend one or both days based on your schedule. Select your preference at registration.
You’re Invited to Attend Two Trainings in One Day!
Save the Date: May 27, 2026 Location: 111 East 1st Street, Morehead, KY 40351
This event is ideal for healthcare providers, nurses, physicians, social workers, and maternal health professionals looking to drive meaningful change in their communities.
Morning Training:
Awareness to Action: Implementing Respectful Maternal and Infant Healthcare Practices™ Earn 3.5 CME/CNE/SW credits
Afternoon Training:
Beyond Labels: Reducing Stigma Related to Maternal Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Earn 1.5 CME/CNE/SW credits
The Kentucky Association of Sexual Assault Programs (KASAP) Invites You To Their Training!
You are invited to apply for KASAP’s newly developed 40-hour Foundations of Advocacy course. This training opportunity is available to rape crisis program staff, volunteers, and community partners, with virtual meetings in May and three in-person days in June. Designed to strengthen core advocacy skills, this comprehensive course will support your work with survivors across Kentucky. Please see the information below, along with the attached course outline, for additional details. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out!
Description: Developed by KASAP, this course is a 40-hour training for advocates and others who support survivors of sexual violence. It satisfies the training requirement for staff and volunteers at Kentucky’s designated rape crisis centers, as outlined in 922 KAR 8:010. This course is also approved for the National Advocate Credential Program.
The course aims to provide advocates with the foundational knowledge and skills needed to support survivors of sexual violence in a trauma-informed, survivor-centered way. Through this course, participants will learn about sexual violence and trauma, violence prevention, practice advocacy skills, and how to advocate in medical and legal settings.
Who should attend: New advocates (pre-service, or within 1 year of hire) as well as advocates who have not completed 40-hr training in 10+ years and want a refresh. Community partners who work with survivors of sexual violence are also encouraged to apply.
Application deadline: Application will close at 5PM ET on Tuesday, April 22nd. Applicants will be notified by April 24th regarding acceptance.
Space is limited. We will cap attendance at 20, so apply today!
Save the Date for an Upcoming Symposium for Maternal and Infant Outcomes!
July 22–23, 2026
Central Bank Center, 430 W Vine Street, Lexington, KY 40507
We are excited to share a Save the Date for the upcoming Kentucky Symposium for Maternal & Infant Outcomes! This year’s theme, “Stronger Together: Connecting Communities for Maternal & Infant Well-Being,” will bring together partners from across the state to collaborate, share best practices, and strengthen efforts to improve outcomes for mothers and infants.
Event Details:
Day 1: Begins at 1:00 PM, followed by a networking reception at 5:30 PM
Day 2: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
We hope you will mark your calendar and plan to join us for this meaningful event. Additional details, including registration, hotel accommodations, and the full agenda, will be shared soon.
April’s Featured KHA Resource: The KHA Medication Tool
What if all your medication answers fit on one simple card ?
The KHA Medication Tool is serving up a complete, nurse-friendly snapshot of everything you need to know about a medication, from nursing must-knows to patient and family teaching tips. This card is neatly organized into 8 quick-hit sections: class & action, dosing, side effects, contraindications, nursing considerations, labs to watch, safety alerts, and patient/family education. Designed for nurses on the move, this tool keeps critical drug info right at your fingertips—so you can spend less time digging for details and more time doing what you do best: caring for patients.
Have an idea of a resource you need for YOUR team or organization? We’d love to hear about it! Contact Casey Franklin at KHA (cfranklin@kyha.com) to tell us more!
Kentucky Sepsis Consortium Webinars
March KY Statewide Sepsis Consortium Recording now available for you!
If you missed the March KY Statewide Sepsis Consortium webinar on Thursday, March 26, please visit the website to gain access to the slides and the recording.
Title: Hospital-Onset Bacteremia and Fungemia (HOB) Rates and How This Intersects with Sepsis and Blood Culture Contamination
Our speaker shared the driving factors, development and planned implementation of this new measure. She also detailed the impact and causes of HOB and how it relates to our sepsis work, including blood culture contamination, and how it impacts patient outcomes and financial results.
Speaker: Tammy Johnson, RN, BS, CPM, AVP National Clinical Strategy and Customer Relations, Magnolia Medical Technologies
Click below to register for future Sepsis Consortium webinars; further details coming soon.
2026 Immunization Champion Award - Call for Nominations
Nominate a local immunization leader for the 2026 Immunization Champion Award today! If you know someone in your community who is promoting and fostering immunization, help us honor and recognize their efforts! We are accepting 2026 Immunization Champion nominations for Kentucky from March 23 to May 15, 2026.
The Immunization Champion Award is a national award program hosted by the Association of Immunization Managers (AIM) that honors individuals who demonstrate immunization leadership, collaboration, innovation and/or advocacy in their community.
Champion Eligibility
Individuals can be recognized for their work in childhood, adolescent or adult vaccinations.
If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Chad Eldridge or Daphne Spalding at ImmunizationBranch@ky.gov.
Please see the letter below from the KY Immunization Branch regarding the timeline for this year’s RSV monoclonal antibody administration.
The Kentucky Department for Public Health recommends that pediatric providers and hospitals across the state continue to administer respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) immunizations to infants through April 30, 2026 for this current respiratory virus season. This is an extension of the normal timeline to ensure optimal protection of Kentucky’s infants. RSV immunization orders through the Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program must be placed by March 31, 2026.
Hepatitis C is common, preventable, and curable. There are hepatitis C treatment providers who will treat you with the dignity and respect you deserve, even if you've been denied treatment in the past. If you are living with hepatitis C, you deserve a cure. Watch this video to learn more: Hepatitis C: You Deserve a Cure
The Kentucky Department for Public Health's Viral Hepatitis Program contributed subject matter expertise for the development of this new short, animated video that provides helpful information about hepatitis C, dispelling myths and promoting prevention and treatment. The goal of this video is to make accurate, actionable public health information easy to understand and widely usable. The video is available for free download in both English and Spanish as well to share on Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health's YouTube channel.
This video was produced by Vital Strategies as part of the Bloomberg Overdose Prevention Initiative, a consortium that includes faculty at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Animation by Greener Media.
New Research to Better Communicate Antimicrobial Resistance, Toolkit Now Available Online
Did you know that each year more than 35,000 Americans die from a drug-resistant infection?
CDC just launched a new toolkit of materials about antimicrobial resistance, which were developed based on formative research and tested with members of the general public in the United States. The resources are designed to educate the public on the threat of antimicrobial resistance and the everyday actions we all can take to prevent its spread.
The toolkit includes free resources to support communication and education efforts, including videos of patients, social media assets, newsletter content, talking points, and graphics formatted for use across digital channels.
Please feel free to disseminate these resources as appropriate with your networks to help protect people from this urgent public health threat.
Measles Playbook Released by APIC!
In an announcement earlier this year, APIC urged strong, coordinated national action to address the escalating measles outbreak, emphasizing the strain on healthcare systems and the importance of prevention, vaccination, and preparedness.
As measles activity continues to challenge public health and healthcare infrastructure, infection prevention teams play a critical role in early identification, isolation, and response.
To support infection prevention professionals and healthcare teams, APIC’s 2025 Emerging Infectious Diseases (EID) Task Force has released the Measles Playbook. Please take a moment to look at this resource and share with other IPs in your hospitals!
You’re Invited to Our Upcoming Community Coalition Meetings!
KY6&8 Eastern Kentucky Community Coalition will meet on April 22, from 2:00 – 3:00 PM ET via Teams. The coalition meeting will kick off with UnitedHealthcare presenting on their member value benefits to close out the Medicaid Managed Care Organizations presentation from last meeting. Next up, Floyd County Health Department will discuss their screening locations, types and frequency within the community. Other health departments have been invited to share their information as well. Last, but certainly not least, Ashley Webb, System Diabetes Education Coordinator for ARH, is presenting on their diabetes education program that is open to the community. Counties in KY6&8: Bell, Breathitt, Clay, Floyd, Harlan, Jackson, Johnson, Knott, Knox, Laurel, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Magoffin, Martin, Owsley, Perry, Pike, and Whitley, but all are welcome to attend!
KY3 Taylor/Lake Cumberland Community Coalition will meet in-person on April 28, from 11:00 - 12:30 PM CT, at TJ Health Columbia. For this meeting, KY3 is focused on mental health and substance use disorder resources! Caroline Hines, Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center, to highlight the FindHelpNow.org website, to show how any Kentuckians can go on the website to find help for mental health, naloxone, substance use disorder, and recovery housing. Peer Support Specialist, Tabitha Hardin, will present the benefits of having a peer support specialist integrated into your organization to help patients with substance disorders. Dale Dobson, Kentucky Department of Ag, will present on the Power of a Handshake and how that simple sign of appreciation can reduce farmer suicide. Last but certainly not least, we have Mandy Lynch with Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital presenting on their geriatric psych unit and the resources they utilize for this patient population. Counties in KY3: Adair, Casey, Clinton, Cumberland, Green, McCreary, Pulaski, Russell, Taylor, and Wayne, but all are welcome to attend!
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.
Tagged for Success: Impactful Applications and Future Opportunities of RFID Technology
Free CE: 1.5 contact hours
Radio frequency identification (RFID) has been applied successfully in several industries, including manufacturing, supply chain, agriculture, transportation, retail, and logistics. The new and novel uses of RFID technology are continually increasing in healthcare systems. However, implementation in healthcare has not followed the expanded uses of this technology. Key considerations for implementation include the impact on efficiency, safety, visibility, transparency, quality, and costs versus benefits. These can be difficult to understand without knowledge of specific use cases. This educational activity will feature impactful applications, important considerations for implementation, strategies for communicating the benefits to key decisionmakers, new and novel uses, and opportunities for the future with RFID technology.
National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, April 25th
The next DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back Day will be Saturday, April 25, 2026, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. To find the Take Back locations in your community, please visit Take Back Day
Since the inception of the DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, law enforcement officials at sites throughout the United States have collected 20,391,815 pounds of unused medication.
Suicide Prevention Resource for Integrating Suicide Prevention in SUD Treatment
The Suicide Prevention Resource Center is pleased to share a new resource with guidance on integrating suicide prevention in substance use disorder (SUD) treatment. It describes the importance, feasibility, and effectiveness of incorporating suicide risk screening and brief interventions in SUD treatment and offers a list of resources to help you apply suicide prevention strategies in your practice.
Designed for substance use disorder treatment professionals, this document may also be useful for other behavioral and mental health clinicians.
Please help spread the word about this new resource by sharing the following social media posts:
Facebook: SPRC has just released guidance on integrating suicide prevention in substance use disorder treatment. Click the link to learn more and get resources for applying the guidance in your ractice: https://ow.ly/3IMM50X18E4 @SuicidePreventionResourceCenter #SuicidePrevention #MentalHealth #SUD
LinkedIn: SPRC has just released guidance on integrating suicide prevention in substance use disorder treatment. Click the link to learn more and get resources for applying the guidance in your practice: https://ow.ly/3IMM50X18E4 @suicide-prevention-resource-center #SuicidePrevention #MentalHealth #SUD
Age-Friendly CMS Measure Videos: The Attestation Period is now LIVE!
We are now LIVE for the Age-Friendly CMS Hospital Measure submission period (April 1 through May 15, 2026). To support hospitals in their reporting, the IHI’s Age-Friendly Health Systems (AFHS) team has teamed up with two movement leaders to deliver brief, focused overviews of domain attestation:
KBN Releases Message for APRNs on Prescriptive/Controlled Substance Authority
The Kentucky Board of Nursing (KBN) released the following message for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) regarding prescriptive authority and/or controlled substance authority. Please ensure your team has this latest information.
APRNs that are prescribing non-scheduled drugs and/or controlled substances must have on file with the KBN all the of the appropriate information required for prescriptive authority and/or controlled substance authority.
There are an increasing number of instances where APRNs do not have the proper documentation on file with KBN.
If KBN audits your license or receives a complaint, and the information on file is not correct, it can result in a fine of up to $500 and/or impact your ability to practice as an APRN in Kentucky.
You may view any physicians with which you are currently in collaborative agreements through your nurse portal account. Additionally, to view notifications, certification information, and prescriptive/controlled substance authority, you can validate through the license verification portal.
If the information does not appear to be correct when validating your license, it is your responsibility to update your information through your nurse portal account by following the specific application.
If you need any assistance navigating the process, you may contact KBN at 502-429-3300.
If you are prescribing nonscheduled drugs (CAPA-NS), you should see at least one of the following notifications:
CAPA-NS on file, OR
‘Has independent NS prescriptive authority per KRS 314.042’
If you are prescribing controlled substances (CAPA-CS), you should see the following notifications:
CAPA-CS on file OR ‘Has independent NS prescriptive authority per KRS 314.042’,
DEA on file, and
Kasper Account on file
Attention Nurses: You are Invited to Join the Kentucky Organization of Nurse Leaders (KONL)!
Member benefits to belonging to KONL include professional development and education, advocacy and influence, networking and community engagement, and more!
Have You Seen the KHA “Put Me In Coach” Campaign Video?
KHA created the “Put Me In Coach” campaign to raise awareness of health care careers for middle and high school students to help more young people see a future in Kentucky health care.
The campaign introduces students to the wide range of careers available in hospitals and health care and helps connect that interest to real education and career pathways.
We encourage you to help expand that reach by sharing the campaign on your hospital’s website, social media channels, and in local outreach with schools, students, families, and community partners.
Thank you for helping build awareness of health care careers and strengthen Kentucky’s future workforce pipeline.
Medetomidine Found in the U.S. Illegal Fentanyl Supply Increasing Risk for Overdose and Severe Withdrawal Syndrome
CDC issued the following Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Advisory on April 2, 2026. View the full CDC HAN Health Advisory as a webpage.
Summary: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in conjunction with the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), is issuing this Health Advisory to notify public health professionals, clinicians, laboratorians, and people at risk for overdose about increasing reports from U.S. jurisdictions detecting medetomidine in the illegal drug supply and a severe withdrawal syndrome due to medetomidine exposure. Medetomidine (also known as 'rhino tranq,' 'mede,' or 'dex') is not approved for human use but is approved for sedation and analgesia in dogs. Its dextro-isomer, dexmedetomidine, is approved for procedural sedation in humans. Medetomidine has been increasingly detected in law enforcement drug seizures, drug product and paraphernalia samples, and in wastewater samples, with the highest concentrations in the Northeast region. Testing of illegal drug samples and clinical specimens has identified racemic mixtures of levomedetomidine and dexmedetomidine isomers without the preservatives commonly found in medical or veterinary formulations, making diversion of pharmaceutical products unlikely. Since pharmaceutical-grade products contain only dexmedetomidine, these findings suggest medetomidine is being synthesized in clandestine laboratories.
Medetomidine can cause profound sedation, bradycardia, and hypotension. Stopping medetomidine following regular use may lead to severe withdrawal, similar to clonidine withdrawal, with symptoms including hypertension, anxiety, nausea, vomiting, and fluctuating alertness, that can require emergency or intensive care. Because fentanyl is involved in most overdoses involving medetomidine, opioid overdose reversal medications (OORM; e.g., naloxone) should be administered to restore normal breathing in suspected overdoses.
Public health professionals can use syndromic surveillance to detect medetomidine-related intoxication or withdrawal signs and symptoms. Public health and public safety agencies and clinicians should collaborate to monitor the local drug supply and share timely information to align clinical and public health action. Clinicians should consider medetomidine in suspected opioid overdoses with prolonged sedation unresponsive to OORM administration, consult a toxicologist or poison control at 1-800-222-1222, and report unusual cases to the appropriate health department.
Patient Safety Hero Award Special Invitation: The Unsung Hero
Patient safety is everyone’s responsibility — and heroes are found in every role.
The Patient Safety Hero Award honors team members across Kentucky Hospitals, which includes both clinical AND our non-clinical staff, including dietary, environmental services, security, and other support teams. Their dedication and quick actions help keep our patients safe every day.
Whether preventing harm, improving processes, speaking up about a concern, or going above and beyond to protect patients, this type of impact matters. If you know someone who has made a difference in patient safety, please nominate them and share their story in the “Reason for Nomination” section below. Every role saves lives. Every hero deserves recognition.
KHA administers the Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality (AHRQ) Surveys on Patient Safety Culture or SOPS as an integral part of KHA Quality Services. The overall goal of the SOPS survey is to create an organizational culture that promotes communication among all members of the health care team and increases reporting of patient safety concerns and conditions whether actual or near misses.
