UK Healthcare OB-GYN Division Expands Care, Access with 19 New Outreach Locations

UK HealthCare expanded OBGYN care and ovarian cancer screenings to Kentucky River Medical Center in May. Photo provided by Kentucky River Medical Center.

LEXINGTON, KY. (June 12, 2024)

In a significant push to improve healthcare accessibility, the outreach division of UK Women’s Health OBGYN announced a plan to extend high-quality obstetric and gynecological care to 19 new sites in 2024-25. Building on the 17 existing sites across the Commonwealth, both new and existing patients can look forward to improved access to ovarian cancer screening, gynecologic oncology, gynecology, and high-risk obstetric care at locations spread throughout central and eastern Kentucky.

Partnering with Local Hospitals

“Partnering with local hospitals to extend healthcare services into rural areas isn’t just about bringing medical expertise closer,” said Emily A. DeFranco, D.O, chair of UK HealthCare’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. “It’s about weaving into the fabric of these communities, becoming not just a service provider but a trusted ally in each patient’s healthcare journey.” UK HealthCare professionals will work closely with existing care teams to formulate a seamless continuum of care.

Reducing Burden through Telehealth

Telehealth consultations will help patients and their families remain in their local environments, thereby reducing the need for routine commutes to Lexington for appointments. Patients will interact with dedicated advance practice providers (APP) onsite and have consultations with obstetrician/gynecologists and subspecialist in high-risk obstetrics and gynecologic oncology.

New OBGYN Care and Ovarian Cancer Screening Locations

In an effort to further the ability of patients to receive care in their community, the proposed outreach sites for OBGYN care include: Hazard ARH, Middlesboro ARH, Highlands ARH, and the Kentucky River Medical Center. Simultaneously, the Ovarian Cancer Screening Programme is to be expanded to include Ephraim McDowell – Fort Logan, Ephraim McDowell – James B. Haggin, Lake Cumberland McCreary, and several other locations.

About UK Healthcare

UK Healthcare is a clinical arm of the University of Kentucky. It represents over 10,000 devoted healthcare professionals dedicated to rendering advanced subspecialty care to seriously injured and ill patients from the Commonwealth and beyond. As an academic research institution, it continuously strives for breakthroughs in cures, treatments, protocols, and policies. It is also the home of the state’s only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, a Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, the region’s first Level 1 trauma center, and the top-ranked hospital in Kentucky.