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Kentucky’s certificate of need law on interim legislative committee’s June 20 agenda
An interim legislative committee is scheduled to take up the issue of Kentucky’s certificate of need requirements later this month.? The Interim Joint Committee (IJC) on Licensing, Occupations and Administrative Regulation will discuss the controversial issue on June 20 at 11 a.m. Eastern Time in room 154 of the Capitol Annex in Frankfort.? Sen. John […]
Multiplying trauma: Kentucky set to add more kids to its troubled juvenile jails
A state law taking effect next month will require more kids charged with violent offenses to be held in Kentucky’s troubled juvenile jails — at a time when all eight of the youth detention centers are under federal investigation for possible abuses. That worries Devine Carama, who directs the One Lexington program to tackle gun […]
Kentucky gets 8,000 Narcan doses as part of Teva settlement
Five sites that distribute naloxone, commonly known as Narcan, received 8,000 new doses this week as part of the state’s settlement with Teva Pharmaceuticals, Attorney General Russell Coleman announced Friday.? The doses went to sites in Louisville, Florence, Ashland, Paducah and Frankfort.? Narcan can reverse opioid overdoses. This shipment is the first of four that […]
Kentuckians invited to June town halls on helping families with substance use complications
Kentuckians with ideas to improve outcomes for children placed in foster care because of substance use complications will get the chance to share them during a series of town halls this June, the Administrative Office of the Courts announced Wednesday.? Registration is required for the four virtual town halls, which Citizen Foster Care Review Boards […]
Storms bring ‘hornet in the belly’ to Kentuckians who have lived through weather disasters
The storms that swept through Kentucky over Memorial Day weekend can be triggering and compound trauma for those who have lived through bad weather before, mental health experts say.? Danelle Sams, a therapist and the director of Four Rivers Behavioral Health’s Mayfield Office, the William H. Fuller Center, said many locals in West Kentucky already […]
Kentuckians’ access to mental health care lags. Paying providers more would help, says report.
Kentuckians are far more likely to pay out of pocket for mental and behavioral health services than for surgical or other medical care.? This insight comes from a recent American Psychological Association report, which examined health insurance claims made by millions of Americans who sought care.? The report showed that as COVID-19 peaked in the […]
Beshear makes Juneteenth a Kentucky holiday, protects natural hair in state workplaces
Gov. Andy Beshear on Thursday signed executive orders making Juneteenth an executive branch holiday and protecting natural hairstyles like braids, locs and twists from discrimination.? Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers have tried and failed to pass bills on both of these issues.? CROWN Act stalls in legislature Sen. Whitney Westerfield, R-Fruit Hill, is among those […]
Pertussis outbreak in Lexington spans ages, most dangerous for babies
The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department is reporting an outbreak of pertussis, which is commonly called whooping cough and is a highly contagious respiratory illness.? The department said it’s confirmed nine cases since late April, including a case at Lafayette High School, one at St. Peter and Paul Catholic School and a community member in their […]
Kentucky K9 officer will sniff out evidence in child exploitation cases
Kentucky’s Attorney General’s office is getting a pawfect new officer who will work in the Department of Criminal Investigations sniffing out technology in child exploitation cases.? Charity, a yellow lab K9 officer, is trained to detect cell phones, flash drives, micro-SD cards and other technology that the AG’s office said “could contain child sex abuse […]
U.S. Department of Justice investigating Kentucky juvenile detention conditions
The U.S. Department of Justice has launched a civil rights investigation into the conditions at eight of the youth detention centers and one development center in the Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice.? “The investigation will examine whether Kentucky protects children confined in these facilities from harm caused by excessive force by staff, prolonged and punitive […]
Fact checking claims about vaccines?as new COVID-19 variant emerges
In the last month, new COVID-19 variants — known as FLiRT and part of the omicron family — emerged as the dominant strain in the United States.? COVID-19 vaccines are still recommended for protection against the virus, according to the Kentucky Department for Public Health. Kentucky currently has low levels of emergency department visits and […]
Suicide prevention tool available online for free?
This story discusses suicide.? If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, please call or text the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988. Kentuckians who want to learn how to help prevent suicide can do so through a new free online suicide prevention training tool.? This training comes from University of Kentucky Healthcare […]