UK rural health access initiative recognizes 30 years in operation

Kentucky Homeplace, a nationally recognized University of Kentucky rural health initiative, recognized its 30th anniversary Friday.

The program started in 1994 to help rural Kentuckians get connected with health services.

It trains community health workers to help them navigate the healthcare system and learn how to manage diseases like diabetes or cancer. UK says the monetary value of free or discounted medications provided through the program is more than $416 million.

Fran Feltner is the Director at UK’s Center of Excellence in Rural Health. She says the trust between residents and the workers is a big reason for the program’s success.

“I think one of the most important things is that community health workers themselves care about folks in their communities, care about their health outcomes, and they work every day to make their clients' lives a little bit brighter,” Feltner said.

Feltner says they’ve trained more than 500 community health workers as part of the program, through 29 eastern Kentucky counties.

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