Ky. Covid-19 numbers continue to improve; study says even mild cases of the disease can be hard on the cardiovascular system

By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News State and federal measurements of Covid-19 in Kentucky continue to improve each week, but Kentuckians are still dying from the virus and new research suggests that even mild cases of the disease can have long-term effects on cardiovascular health.  The latest weekly report from...

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988 suicide-and-crisis lifeline is free and available to anyone in crisis; calls have increased 23% since launch nine months ago

By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News Kentucky calls to 988, the short, easy-to-remember crisis hotline for mental health, have increased by 23% since it rolled out nine months ago, and there have been 15% fewer abandoned calls, according to Gov. Andy Beshear. "More people are calling and more people are staying on and...

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UK medical school and recently added regional campuses will graduate largest class ever, with 42% staying in Ky. for residency

Students in this year's graduating class of the University of Kentucky College of Medicine at Lexington celebrated Match Day in March, when they learned their residency locations. (UK photo by Mark Mahan) By Allison Perry University of Kentucky In 2013, the Commonwealth of Kentucky Health Care Workforce Capacity Report...

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First round of state grants from settlements with opioid makers and distributors, more than $8 million, go to 24 organizations

Operation UNITE was one of 24 organizations to get a grant from the first round of opioid settlement money. It got $1 million to be used for prevention. (Photos by Melissa Patrick) By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News Attorney General Daniel Cameron announced the first 24 organizations to receive over $8 million...

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UK study finds children who were exposed to opioids before birth are more likely to develop chronic diseases when they grow up

By Lindsay Travis University of Kentucky What happens to the cardiovascular health of babies exposed to opioids in the womb? A new study at the University of Kentucky suggests that children born to mothers who use opioids during pregnancy may be more likely to develop chronic diseases as adults, including cardiovascular and...

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Kentucky's Covid-19 death rate lower than U.S. average when adjusted for health conditions and average ages in the states

Rates before (L) and after (R) adjustment for conditions; click image to enlarge By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News Now that Covid-19 has gone beyond the pandemic phase to the endemic phase, how did Kentucky handle the pandemic? A study has found that Kentucky's coronavirus infection rate and Covid-19 death rate...

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2023 Healthy Kentucky Champion nominations are due May 1

The deadline to nominate someone for a 2023 Healthy Kentucky Champion award is Monday, May 1.  The award, sponsored by the Foundation for a Health Kentucky, is meant to recognize people leading the change to improve the health of Kentuckians. The foundation offers some guidelines for whom to consider:  A Kentuckian...

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Only 1 in 5 Kentuckians at risk for mpox are vaccinated for it

By Sarah LaddKentucky Lantern About one in five Kentuckians who are at risk for mpox — formerly called monkeypox — are vaccinated for it, according to Gov. Andy Beshear. The estimated at-risk population in Kentucky is 19,344 people, Beshear said April 7. Of those, 21% got one dose of vaccine and 12% got two doses, compared...

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Doctor shortages persist in rural America, including Kentucky, and medical residency programs are scarce in rural areas

Centre for Economic Policy Research image One of the best ways to increase the number of doctors in rural areas is to provide medical residency training there. Kentucky has seen a concerted effort to expand rural residency programs, but their number remains relatively small in the state and nation. "Experts say...

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UK environmental-health scientist Erin Haynes leads study in Ohio to track health impact of train derailment in East Palestine

Erin Haynes (University of Kentucky photo) A University of Kentucky environmental scientist is taking steps to learn more about the health symptoms and exposures faced by the residents of East Palestine, Ohio, following a train derailment through an online health tracking survey. On Feb. 3, a train carrying...

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Overdose deaths in Ky. workplaces tripled in 2019-2021; in the latter year they were the 2nd leading cause of occupational fatality

Graph by Kentucky Injury Prevention Research Center Drug-overdose deaths in Kentucky workplaces tripled from 2019 to 2021, according to the latest annual report from the Kentucky Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation program.The program, part of the Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center, found that from...

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Drinking while pregnant can have long-lasting effects on children; almost half of pregnant Kentuckians report alcohol consumption

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention illustration Did you know that children of mothers who drink alcohol during pregnancy can undergo changes to their facial features, accompanied by a variety of lifelong mental and physical challenges? And some of those changes may not be visible. Exposure to alcohol before...

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Medicare Advantage TV ads and other marketing will have to follow new rules aimed at stopping deception of beneficiaries

Cover of report asking Medicare to act Kentucky Health News Those incessant ads and phone calls about Medicare, and other marketing devices that the federal government considers deceptive, are about to get makeovers. At least that's what the feds have in mind. On April 5, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid...

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UK is ‘Centering and Celebrating Cultures in Health’ during National Public Health Week, which runs through Sunday

Advocates celebrated a National Public Health Week at the University of Kentucky. By Grace Colville University of Kentucky From fostering collaborations to increase lifesaving cancer screenings, to examining the impact of an environmental disaster, to shedding light on vaccine hesitancy in Eastern Kentucky, experts...

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Fentanyl test strips will no longer be drug paraphernalia under law

By Sarah Ladd Kentucky Lantern Fentanyl test strips will no longer be considered drug paraphernalia in Kentucky. Gov. Andy Beshear on Friday signed a bipartisan bill decriminalizing fentanyl test strips in Kentucky after it easily passed both legislative chambers. The state Senate passed House Bill 353 Thursday night. The...

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Appalachian Nursing Academy for high school juniors and seniors in Appalachian counties extends application deadline to April 15

The Appalachian Nursing Academy, for high school students in Appalachia who are wondering if they would like to pursue a career in health care, has extended its application deadline to April 15.  The academy is a free, two-week summer program at the University of Pikeville July 10-21. It is available to rising junior...

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Every Kentucky county has a low risk of Covid-19 transmission

CDC map shows all Kentucky counties and all but one adjoining county (Scott County, Tennessee) at low risk, with the closest high-risk counties in northeast Missouri and West Virginia. By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News Every county in Kentucky has a low risk of Covid-19 transmission, according to the latest...

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