Kentucky Children’s Hospital and Cincinnati Children’s Joint Heart Program Opens Outreach Clinic in Ashland

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 9, 2020) – UK HealthCare's Kentucky Children’s Hospital (KCH) and Cincinnati Children’s Joint Heart Program (JHP) are opening an outreach clinic at PrimaryPlus-Ashland. Beginning October 9th, pediatric cardiologists Drs. Louis Bezold III, and Bradley Keller will see pediatric and adult congenital heart patients patients on second and fourth Friday of every month.

As a “one-program, two-sites model,” the Joint Heart Program, which launched in 2016, was ranked 14th in the country for pediatric cardiology and heart surgery in the 2020-2021 U.S. News and World Report listing of Best Children’s Hospitals. This ranking reflects its high-level expertise from nationally recognized physicians and the quality of care provided for its patients. 

Opening this additional site will ensure the continuity of the KCH, UK HealthCare’s and Cincinnati Children’s commitment to providing the best heart care as possible close to home. The Joint Heart Program’s services provided at the PrimaryPlus facility in Ashland will include new and established patient appointments, electrocardiograms (ECGs), echocardiograms, arrhythmia management and syncope evaluation by cardiology experts from both KCH and Cincinnati Children’s.  “As part of PrimaryPlus’ ongoing mission, our healthcare team strongly believes in the importance of relationships that increase access to care,” said PrimaryPlus CEO Jerry Ugrin. “This new relationship with the Joint Heart Program involving UK’s Kentucky Children’s Hospital and Cincinnati Children’s allows the parents and children of our region to have some of the best pediatric cardiologists in the nation in our own backyard. The outstanding quality and added convenience will be a blessing to so many patients, and we are humbled to be part of housing this service. We are confident that it will make an impact on the health of our region’s families.”   “PrimaryPlus is dedicated to providing expert care throughout the Ohio Valley region, and we’re honored to work with them and bring our pediatric and adult congenital heart care program to Ashland,” said Dr. Carl Backer, director of KCH’s section of the Joint Heart Program and division chief of pediatric cardiothoracic surgery at KCH. “Our goal has always been to provide excellence in pediatric heart care closer to home, and anything we can do to honor our commitment to making treatment easier for our patients and their families, we will do.”

The Joint Pediatric Heart Program provides 14 additional clinics throughout Kentucky.  To schedule a pediatric heart care appointment at PrimaryPlus-Ashland, call 859-323-6754 and select option one. Kentucky Children's Hospital, part of the UK HealthCare system, is committed to providing the best care possible, for children as well as families. With the region's only Level I pediatric trauma center and Level IV neonatal intensive care unit, and more than 30 advanced subspecialty programs such as pediatric oncology and pediatric surgery, KCH is equipped to provide the highest level of care to young patients, close to home. PrimaryPlus is a Federally Qualified Health Center that was founded in 1983 on the mission of providing quality, advanced, affordable healthcare to the region.  The healthcare organization has grown to include nine primary care locations throughout the Ohio River Valley stretching from Ashland, Ky. to Augusta, Ky. PrimaryPlus prides itself on providing complete care for the entire family by offering extended services on-site most locations including pediatrics, women’s health, dental care, on-site pharmacies, x-ray/ultrasound, nutrition counseling, occupational medicine, counseling services and more.  PrimaryPlus accepts most insurance, all Kentucky Medicaid plans, OH Medicaid (CareSource & Molina) and offers a sliding fee scale for those that are uninsured and/or underinsured providing up to a 75% discount on care (upon application approval).  PrimaryPlus-Ashland which will house The Joint Heart Program is located at 432 16th St. (Main entrance located at the corner of 17th & Central Ave., Phone: 606-324-0128) is home to primary care, pediatrics, women’s health, an on-site pharmacy that is open to the public, X-ray/ultrasound, extended partnerships with UK Maternal Fetal Medicine, PLUS More.  Visit primaryplus.net to learn more about their services, locations and medical team.  PrimaryPlus is always welcoming new patients.