Posted January 30, 2019
Organizations to focus on five target health areas
The Kentucky Medical Association (KMA) and the Madison County Health Department (MCHD) have announced a strategic partnership that will allow the organizations to combine resources to tackle five key health issues where Kentuckians rank behind the rest of the country.
KMA and MCHD will work towards identifying solutions to barriers impacting smoking, diabetes, obesity, drug abuse and flu/pneumonia. These issues are the focus areas of KMA’s AIM for Better Care: Administrative Improvements in Medicine initiative, which launched in early 2018.
The partnership is the first of its kind in Kentucky between the physician association and a local public health department and will allow both groups to share research and findings and strategize solutions for patients to live longer, healthier lives.
“We are excited to partner with the Madison County Health Department and think this represents the beginning of a very beneficial relationship for both organizations and residents of the Commonwealth,” said KMA Executive Vice President Pat Padgett. “KMA members have been very active in advocating for public health issues and we look forward to advancing that work in Central Kentucky with the Madison County Health Department.”
Nancy Crewe, Public Health Director for Madison County, said the partnership between physicians and the health department will be impactful. “MCHD regards our new partnership with KMA as a much-welcomed and effective way to reinforce and amplify important public health messaging on the common focus areas we share with the AIM for Better Care initiative.”
KMA and the MCHD will begin their work by uniting around several prevention projects that both organizations are already working on. This includes a handwashing initiative focused on flu and other disease and virus prevention, as well as a promotional campaign regarding vaccinations. KMA, the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky and the Kentucky Foundation for Medical Care launched a statewide flu public health awareness campaign in the fall of 2018 called ‘Focus on Flu,’ which encourages Kentuckians to get their flu shots, to consult their physician if they think they have the virus, and to take steps to prevent further spread of the illness. MCHD held a ‘Say Boo to the Flu’ Halloween event in October 2018 that offered flu vaccinations for area children. The groups plan to continue this work and make an even larger impact through their collaboration this year.
