UK HealthCare Announces New Roles for Physicians in Key Patient Care Areas

LEXINGTON, Ky. (July 16, 2013) - UK HealthCare has announced additional roles for three physicians in key patient care areas. 

Dr. Laura Fanucchi has been named the UK HealthCare Enterprise Medical Director for Translational Care. Transitions in patient care are a high priority throughout the nation.  There is a need for greater collaboration across the entire care continuum from acute care hospital to home, ambulatory clinics and post-acute care facilities. 

In her new role, Fanucchi will work collaboratively within UK HealthCare, joining current initiatives to explore avenues to improve post-acute care for our patients.  Fanucchi will help ensure that we provide high quality and efficient care across the continuum. 

Fanucchi attended Emory University School of Medicine and completed her Internal Medicine internship and residency at New York/Presbyterian Hospital – Weill Cornell in New York, NY. In 2008, she also received her Master's of Public Health from Emory University Rollins School of Public Health.

Since arriving at UK HealthCare in 2012, Fanucchi has been actively involved in quality and safety initiatives that include the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee, the UK HealthCare Patient Safety Team, a co-leader of the IV Drug User and Substance Abuse PI group, the Post-Acute Care team, and the Provider Documentation Council.

Dr. Justin Fraser has been named Medical Director for Cerebrovascular Surgery. UK HealthCare is a recognized leader in the care of patients with stroke and cerebrovascular disease. To excel in the management of such patients, a clinical care model that crosses many disciplines is required. 

In this role, Fraser will work with the Kentucky Neuroscience Institute and Stroke Service leadership to enhance the comprehensive neurological care provided to our patients. 
 
Since joining UK HealthCare in 2011, Fraser has been an integral member of the UK HealthCare neurosurgery department, where he serves as an assistant professor. Fraser was instrumental in the design of the hybrid operating suite for cerebrovascular procedures. He is the current medical director for the Neurosurgery Intensive Care Unit and has been a very active member of the Stroke Program. Over the last three years this team has led UK HealthCare in achieving the American Heart Association’s Gold Plus Award three times, as well as a recent Primary Stroke Center recertification with The Joint Commission. 
 
Fraser earned his medical degree from the Weill Medical College of Cornell University, where he also completed his training in neurological surgery as well as interventional neuroradiology.  His clinical interests in neurosurgery include cerebrovascular, skull base, and endovascular neurosurgery. The author of numerous papers and book chapters, Fraser lectures both nationally and internationally on these and other topics within the field.
 

Dr. Andrew Bernard has been named chair of the UK HealthCare Intensive Care Unit Committee which has been redesigned and will bring together the leaders from the Chandler, Good Samaritan and Kentucky Children’s Hospital critical care units.

 
In this role, Bernard and the team will work collaboratively across all ICUs to ensure the provision of high quality, safe, patient-centered and efficient intensive care.
 
Bernard attended medical school at the University of Kentucky. He completed a general surgery residency and a trauma and critical care fellowship at UK. He is recognized as a national leader in trauma care and is an excellent trauma and acute care surgeon. He is respected for his patient-centered approach.
 
Since 2002, Bernard has been very active in quality and safety initiatives that include the Interdepartmental Trauma Quality Assurance Committee, UK Organ Donation Council where he has served as chair since 2007, and the Transfusion Subcommittee.  He is currently the medical director of UK HealthCare’s Trauma and Acute Care Surgery service line and chair of the Kentucky Trauma Advisory Committee, which oversees Kentucky’s trauma system.