(Editor’s Note: This guest post was written by Bonita Bobo, Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention Manager for the KY Department for Public Health)
Unfortunately, Kentuckians have high rates of heart disease, heart attack and stroke, as well as high blood pressure and high cholesterol, which increase the risk of stroke or heart disease. Just seven states have worse heart disease death rates, and stroke was the fifth highest cause of death in Kentucky in 2018. In 2019, 41% of adults reported being told by a health professional that they have high blood pressure, compared to the U.S. rate of 33%.
On June 8, the KHC hosted “High Quality Cardiovascular Care,” a virtual event open to the public for free thanks to grant funding from the Kentucky Department for Public Health. This interactive session brought in national and local voices to demonstrate how positive deviance can be disseminated and adopted to transform communities. The 2.5-hour forum featured presentations from a National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) quality expert, a local cardiologist whose clinic serves the uninsured, the insured and low-income patients regardless of their insurance status or income, and a panel of providers that are currently tackling this complex situation. The highlight of the event was a consumer’s experience that put all the all the standards of care, we think are occurring, and brought it home in a real life story affecting one of our own Kentucky citizens.
This event was illuminating and inspiring. I encourage you to visit the event page here for the recording, whether you missed the event or want to revisit one of the presentations and slide decks.
