UK, Kentucky Primary Care Association join forces to advance health care in Ky.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 27, 2025) — The University of Kentucky and the Kentucky Primary Care Association have formalized a strategic partnership that will expand health care access, address workforce shortages and improve health outcomes across the Commonwealth.
The new partnership brings the Kentucky Primary Care Association and the Kentucky Primary Care Clinically Integrated Network into the Advancing Kentucky Together Network, UK’s initiative to work with partners across the state to advance health and wellness in Kentucky.
“The Advancing Kentucky Together Network was created to bring together organizations that share our commitment to improving the health and well-being of all Kentuckians,” said UK President Eli Capilouto. “The Kentucky Primary Care Association demonstrates that shared commitment every day in their work to ensure Kentuckians have access to quality care regardless of where they live. This partnership will allow us to combine our resources and expertise to make an even greater impact on the health of our Commonwealth.”
“Primary care is the gateway to better health for Kentuckians, and our members are deeply rooted in the communities they serve. By joining the Advancing Kentucky Together Network, we are expanding that gateway to include the unmatched expertise, research and innovation of the University of Kentucky,” said Molly Lewis, CEO of the Kentucky Primary Care Association and the Kentucky Primary Care Clinically Integrated Network. “This partnership allows us to bring the very best of both worlds — local, trusted whole-patient care and world-class academic medicine — to every corner of the Commonwealth so that more Kentuckians can achieve their best health, close to home.”
The partnership was formalized through two memorandums of understanding signed Aug. 1. The agreements outline several measures to address critical health care needs in Kentucky, including:
- Rural health care workforce development: UK and KPCA will collaborate on workforce recruitment and retention in rural areas through Kentucky Medical Professions Placement Services.
- Addressing the opioid crisis: UK will conduct education and training for KPCA members, focusing on current methods and pharmaceutical approaches to treat opioid use disorder.
- Value-based care innovation: UK and KPCA’s Clinically Integrated Network will explore value-based program opportunities that focus on improving patient outcomes while managing health care costs effectively.
- Enhanced care coordination: The collaboration will leverage network affiliation to improve care coordination and increase availability of expertise and resources for shared patients.
- Population health strategies: UK and KPCA will explore developing comprehensive population health strategies and share resources and expertise to address community health needs.
The partnership comes at a critical time for health care in Kentucky. Kentucky faces a workforce shortage, with many counties lacking adequate access to primary care physicians and other essential health services. UK HealthCare alone projects needing an additional 5,000 health professionals over the next decade to meet growing demands.
KPCA represents a network of health care providers, including Federally Qualified Health Centers, Rural Health Clinics and other organizations that serve as safety nets for Kentucky’s most vulnerable populations. The nonprofit organization’s mission is to improve access to care for patients in rural and under resourced communities in Kentucky.
KPCA is the latest member of UK’s Advancing Kentucky Together Network, an initiative announced in October 2024 at the direction of UK’s Board of Trustees to work with partners to be the institution that does more than any other in the country to advance the health of the state it serves. The network expands UK’s efforts to address dramatically growing health, education and workforce needs across the state. Through strategic partnerships, UK will share expertise, extend resources and foster innovation to improve health outcomes for every Kentuckian. The network brings together health care organizations, educational institutions and community partners throughout Kentucky, and supports partners through clinical expertise, workforce training and community outreach.
UK HealthCare is the hospitals and clinics of the University of Kentucky. But it is so much more. It is more than 10,000 dedicated health care professionals committed to providing advanced subspecialty care for the most critically injured and ill patients from the Commonwealth and beyond. It also is the home of the state’s only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, a Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit that cares for the tiniest and sickest newborns and the region’s only Level 1 trauma center.
As an academic research institution, we are continuously pursuing the next generation of cures, treatments, protocols and policies. Our discoveries have the potential to change what’s medically possible within our lifetimes. Our educators and thought leaders are transforming the health care landscape as our six health professions colleges teach the next generation of doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other health care professionals, spreading the highest standards of care. UK HealthCare is the power of advanced medicine committed to creating a healthier Kentucky, now and for generations to come.