Strengthening our communities through collaboration

We work with hospitals, nonprofits, community groups and other organizations you know and trust. At UK HealthCare, we are committed to providing the right care at the right place at the right time through access to specialty care, health education and wellness support. We partner with more than 600 organizations that share our vision for a healthier Kentucky, working together to increase quality of life and support for underserved communities.

Strong networks mean optimized care

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UK HealthCare Network

We are locking arms with health care providers throughout the Commonwealth to improve the health of Kentuckians. Here are just a few of the ways:

Partnering to expand access to care

Exterior photo of King's Daughters Parkview Patient TowerIn 2021, a significant partnership between UK HealthCare and King’s Daughters Health System in Ashland, Ky., began, creating new opportunities for both organizations to better serve patients throughout Kentucky, southern Ohio and West Virginia by expanding the delivery of specialty health care services throughout the region.

By facilitating wider access to advanced subspecialty care, we ensure that no Kentuckian has to leave the state to get the care they need.

Streamlined support for health care providers

  • Doctor in a white coat smiles while shaking the hand of a young man in business attireThe UK HealthCare Physician Liaison team offers support to providers across the region who refer patients to UK HealthCare physicians, hospitals and clinics. Through these strong relationships, we ensure that patients across Kentucky get the best possible care.
  • The Kentucky Regional Extension Center (Kentucky REC) serves as a trusted strategic partner to healthcare organizations across the state, helping them to manage the complex and changing world of health care. Part of our outreach mission, the Kentucky REC provides expert guidance and support on technology innovation, performance improvement and health care transformation.

Enriching our communities

UK HealthCare team members gather under the archway for the March of Dimes March for BabiesWe are committed to helping the communities we serve grow and improve. Developed in 2006, the UK HealthCare Community Engagement & Sponsorship Program is advancing this goal through partnerships with local, state and national groups. Through these collaborations, we aim to improve the health and well-being of Kentuckians, extending our outreach to all corners of the state and beyond. 

We’re also helping our communities in hands-on ways through community engagement efforts. From providing health information and education to offering screening events and risk assessments, we are working to help Kentuckians lead their healthiest lives. Through our efforts, we are focused on supporting populations facing health disparities to provide access to needed care and resources.

Giving kids a healthy start

A newborn swaddled in a white blanket with pink and blue stripes sleeps in an open crib in the NICU.Through relationships with many organizations across the state and region, UK HealthCare and Kentucky Children's Hospital are working to give Kentucky children the healthiest start. Strong collaborations — with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Shriners Children’s Lexington, the Child Development Center of the Bluegrass, the Office for Children with Special Health Care Needs and many others — help us ensure that children receive the specialized care they need.

  • As a Level 4 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, our NICU is equipped to care for Kentucky’s tiniest and most critically ill babies. We hold affiliation agreements with other Kentucky hospitals – including providing on-site attending physician support at Baptist Health Corbin and Frankfort Regional Medical Center – allowing us to offer the highest-quality care while keeping little ones closer to home. Through our Neonatal Outreach Program, we make resources and education available to community hospitals.
  • Child Advocacy Today is a medical-legal partnership that brings pediatricians and lawyers together to ensure that families can meet the basic needs of their children for health care, housing, education, nutrition and family stability, all crucial to a child’s health and development and all impacted by poverty. CAT Legal Clinic provides free direct legal representation for patients, systemic advocacy, and interprofessional education to improve patient health outcomes. 
  • The UK Maternal Fetal Medicine telemedicine program uses telehealth technology to bring high-level specialty care to women with high-risk pregnancies. A UK-trained technician performs an ultrasound at a collaborating rural healthcare facility in the patient’s home community. A UK HealthCare specialist can see the ultrasound as it is being performed and talk with the patient. The program helps to uncover high-risk pregnancies much earlier, reduce the number of low birthweight babies and positively impact infant mortality.

UK HealthCare's 2025 strategic plan provides a road map for achieving our vision: One community committed to creating a healthier Kentucky. We are committed to positively impacting our community and our Commonwealth by understanding and responding to health needs through engagement, outreach and collaboration.