Helping improve rural health outcomes in Paducah

I’ve recently started a new evaluation project with Purchase Area Health Connections (Paducah, KY) in partnership with the McNary Group. The project hopes to improve overall patient health outcomes for those with heart disease while building their own capacity to use evidenced-based Quality Improvement practices. When successful, it is anticipated that avoidable hospitalizations will be reduced, health outcomes will improve, patient satisfaction with care and health literacy will improve. 

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in Kentucky, occurring at a rate that is nearly twice the national average. At the partner hospitals, individuals with a heart failure diagnosis are 20 percent more likely to be readmitted than individuals with other diagnoses.