June 2009 - Posts

Healthcare, Art and Starbucks- it doesn’t get much better than this…

Published 06-30-2009 4:58 PM | Mark D. Birdwhistell

Last Monday, June 22, the UK HealthCare Kentucky Neuroscience Institute Clinic (KNI) opened their new state-of-the-art clinic. I stopped by the first floor of the Kentucky clinic today, which is where KNI is located and I was impressed by the new approach...

Save the Date!

Published 06-29-2009 4:05 PM | Mark D. Birdwhistell

"Save the Dates" are all too familiar with those of us who have been involved in planning a wedding. Even though there is a wedding in my family on the horizon (congratulations Matt and Shira), this particular Save the Date is not related to...

Seattle Sightseeing

Published 06-26-2009 4:30 PM | Mark D. Birdwhistell

I have memories of my first grade teacher reading to the class from the Weekly Reader Magazine about the Space Needle and Monorail in Seattle Washington. These attractions were built for the 1962 World's Fair that was held in this city. Last night...

UK HealthCare Transformation Strategy Showcased in Seattle Conference

Published 06-26-2009 12:55 PM | Mark D. Birdwhistell

The National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems annual conference was entitled "The Future of the Safety Net: Serious Challenges Require Innovative Strategies." Dr. Karpf was in Seattle today to present a case study of the UK...

UK HealthCare "at the Table" Discussing Healthcare Reform

Published 06-25-2009 9:48 AM | Mark D. Birdwhistell

I recall a pop song from my teenage years- recorded by Bobby Sherman. The song had the lyrics of "the bluest skies you've ever seen in Seattle." Today as representatives of the National Association of Public Hospitals gathered in Seattle...

Greetings from Seattle!

Published 06-24-2009 8:39 AM | Mark D. Birdwhistell

Over the past year I have been serving as a member of a Health Reform Task force of the National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems (NAPH). The task force is meeting again this week in conjunction with the 2009 NAPH Annual Conference which...

Pattie A Clay Foundation Ball Rides the Storm Out

Published 06-22-2009 11:20 AM | Mark D. Birdwhistell

Kentucky has had its fair share of bizarre weather this year. First, yet another ice storm this winter. And most recently, storms which crossed Kentucky with hurricane-force wind gusts this past Thursday. Unfortunately for our friends down the road, the...

Dr. Karpf Presents to Louisville Business Leaders

Published 06-19-2009 11:55 AM | Mark D. Birdwhistell

On June 4 th I posted about UK HealthCare joining the Kentucky Health Enterprises Network. Yesterday, Dr. Karpf presented as the key note speaker to HEN's "Emerging Healthcare Facilities: The Future of Bricks and Mortar Development" event...

Summertime Cookouts are Back!

Published 06-18-2009 1:18 PM | Mark D. Birdwhistell

One of my favorite things about summer is the smell of hamburgers cooking on a charcoal grill. Yesterday, several of us took a lunch break on the patio outside the College of Nursing to take advantage of the cookout for employees and students. Back by...

The Nursing Professionals of Tomorrow

Published 06-17-2009 10:08 AM | Mark D. Birdwhistell

The shortage of nurses is a national problem. I guess the baby boomers, previously discussed in this blog, are a primary cause of this shortage. Jane Kirschling R.N., D.N.S., the Dean of the UK College of Nursing, recently reported that beginning in 2012...

Construction with Care: A Bird’s Eye View

Published 06-15-2009 1:30 PM | Mark D. Birdwhistell

Last week a family member of mine had a surgical procedure performed at the Center for Advanced Surgery at UK HealthCare. This was an opportunity for me to witness UK HealthCare from the perspective of a family member. I am very pleased to report that...

Physicians of Tomorrow

Published 06-12-2009 10:17 AM | Mark D. Birdwhistell

As UK HealthCare has grown there have also been advances in our health related colleges. This brings me to the first post of a series in which I will highlight some of the achievements of our health related colleges in our academic health center. I have...

UK HealthCare Enters the Age of Social Networking

Published 06-10-2009 4:23 PM | Mark D. Birdwhistell

When I was in high school the term social networking consisted of passing notes in class behind the teacher's back or exchanging ID bracelets or class rings. Today this term takes on a completely different meaning. This term is used to cover the array...

First Hand Heroes

Published 06-09-2009 3:09 PM | Mark D. Birdwhistell

You may have seen this story either in the Herald Leader or on the local TV news recently about the Ecuador medical mission trip. Last week a reception was held at the College of Medicine attended by Drs. Karpf, Perman, Bricker and others in honor of...

UK HealthCare "One Stop Conference" Promotes Women's Health

Published 06-07-2009 8:37 PM | Mark D. Birdwhistell

On Saturday morning, June 6, I dropped by the "Women: It's All About You" Conference held at the Embassy Suites. This was the first comprehensive women's health conference offered by UK HealthCare. The event attracted well over 200 attendees...