![November 14, 2025 - Dr. Scottie Day & Dr. Bethany Hodge (Kentucky Children's Hospital becomes Golisano Children's at UK) [ENCORE] show art](https://assets.libsyn.com/content/195456615?height=50&width=50)
November 14, 2025 - Dr. Scottie Day & Dr. Bethany Hodge (Kentucky Children's Hospital becomes Golisano Children's at UK) [ENCORE]
Behind the Blue
LEXINGTON, Ky. (November 14, 2025) – THIS IS AN ENCORE EPISODE. When we think about children’s health, we often picture checkups, vaccinations, and the day-to-day care families receive from their pediatricians. But in Kentucky, the conversation goes much deeper. From rural access to care, to systemic poverty, to the lingering effects of the opioid epidemic, children across the Commonwealth face challenges that begin long before they step into a doctor’s office. At the same time, what was known as Kentucky Children’s Hospital — now newly renamed , following a historic $50 million...
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November 7, 2025 - Sarah Geegan & CC Rhein (QPR Training & Suicide Prevention)
Behind the Blue
LEXINGTON, Ky. (November 7, 2025) – Suicide remains one of the leading causes of death among young people in Kentucky, but University of Kentucky faculty and students are working to change that through a simple, yet powerful idea: communication saves lives. Sarah Geegan, assistant professor in the Department of Integrated Strategic Communication, and C.C. Rhein, a junior ISC major and Gaines Fellow, are leading outreach and education efforts promoting QPR — Question, Persuade, Refer — a national training program that teaches anyone how to recognize warning signs, ask difficult...
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October 30, 2025 - Dr. Shari Meyerson & Dr. Mansi Shah (Robotic Lung Cancer Screening & Treatment)
Behind the Blue
LEXINGTON, Ky. (October 30, 2025) – Kentucky continues to face one of the highest rates of lung cancer in the nation, but new advances at UK HealthCare are helping doctors shorten the time from diagnosis to life-saving treatment. Through the use of cutting-edge robotic systems, UK surgeons can now perform same-day biopsy and surgery for certain early-stage lung cancers — turning what was once weeks of waiting and anxiety into a single, coordinated procedure. Dr. Shari Meyerson, professor of surgery and division chief of thoracic surgery, and Dr. Mansi Shah, assistant professor in the...
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October 23, 2025 - Isabel Escobar (2025 Great Teacher)
Behind the Blue
LEXINGTON, Ky. (October 23, 2025) – The University of Kentucky Alumni Association started the Great Teacher Award program in 1961 to honor excellent teaching at the university. There have been more than 300 teachers honored since that first year. Nominations may only be submitted by current students. To receive the award, a candidate must: Hold the rank of full-time lecturer or above and have been a member of the faculty for the past three years at UK. Have superior knowledge of the subject matter. Have original and innovative classroom presentations. Demonstrate concern for...
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October 17, 2025 - Family Weekend
Behind the Blue
LEXINGTON, Ky. (October 17, 2025) – Every fall, the University of Kentucky’s Family Weekend offers a chance for students, parents, and alumni to come together and celebrate what makes the Wildcat experience unique. It’s a time to reconnect, share stories, and reflect on the people who help students find their place — and their purpose — at UK. For this special edition of Behind the Blue, two students share how family and community have shaped their journeys. Isabella Frost, a pre-dental sophomore from Knox County, discusses her goal of returning home to serve her rural...
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October 10, 2025 - UK Police Chief Joe Monroe (Campus Safety Initiatives)
Behind the Blue
LEXINGTON, Ky. (October 10, 2025) – Over his nearly 32 years with UKPD, University of Kentucky Police Department Chief Joe Monroe has watched the department evolve from a small campus police force into one of the largest law enforcement agencies in Kentucky — serving what he calls a “city within a city.” Today, his team’s mission extends far beyond patrols and parking enforcement, encompassing everything from crisis management and emergency planning to healthcare security and cutting-edge technology like drones and a network of more than 5,000 cameras across...
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October 3, 2025 - Brian Cury (EarthCam - Hall of Distinguished Alumni)
Behind the Blue
LEXINGTON, Ky. (October 3, 2025) – When University of Kentucky alum Brian Cury, founder of EarthCam, placed the company’s first webcam above Times Square for the 1996 New Year’s Eve celebration, he thought it was a fad that soon would pass. Today, though, webcams are part of the culture. We watch eagles in their nests, bears in the wilderness, buildings under construction and scenes from cities around the world. This type of innocent voyeurism has “great appeal,” Cury said. and headquartered in Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, has cameras all over the planet, including looking...
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September 18, 2025 - Jill Smith & Tom Mathews (Alumni Association & 2025 Homecoming)
Behind the Blue
LEXINGTON, Ky. (September 18, 2025) – For more than a century, beginning in 1915, the University of Kentucky has marked Homecoming Week as a celebration of tradition, spirit and community. The week brings together students, alumni, families and friends to honor what it means to be a Wildcat. , once again features the collaboration of the UK Alumni Association, Student Organizations and Activities, Black Student Union, National Pan-Hellenic Council, Student Activities Board, the Office for Student Success and other campus partners. This year, the Alumni Association will also welcome...
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September 11, 2025 - Savannah Robin, Seth DeBolt, Aslihan Spaulding (Kentucky Signature Industries Career Fair)
Behind the Blue
LEXINGTON, Ky. (September 11, 2025) – What began as a happy accident between two separate career fairs has grown into one of the most impactful workforce development events at the University of Kentucky. Now in its fourth year, the Kentucky Signature Industries Career Fair is welcoming a new major player — agribusiness — to its collaborative showcase of opportunity. Hosted by the UK Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, the career fair was originally born from a coincidental overlap in scheduling between the college’s Ag Equine Programs and the James B....
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September 5, 2025 - Dr. Lindsey Jasinski and Dr. Marc Woods (EmPATH - World Suicide Prevention Day)
Behind the Blue
LEXINGTON, Ky. (September 5, 2025) – September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and September 10th marks World Suicide Prevention Day — a moment to highlight the importance of open, honest conversations about mental health and the resources available to help those in crisis. On this episode of “Behind the Blue”, Dr. Lindsey Jasinski and Dr. Marc Woods, two of the key leaders behind the EmPATH program at Eastern State Hospital, discuss their decades of experience in behavioral health and suicide prevention, and share how their team is helping Kentuckians find hope during some...
info_outlineLEXINGTON, Ky. (May 22, 2025) – As federal lawmakers continue to examine the future of Medicaid, universities and health systems across the country are monitoring potential policy shifts that could influence how care is delivered—especially in states like Kentucky, where Medicaid plays a foundational role in supporting healthcare access.
At the University of Kentucky, Medicaid is more than a funding stream—it helps fuel a wide range of clinical services, community outreach programs, and care for underserved populations. Nearly 35% of patients served by UK HealthCare are Medicaid recipients, and many of them live in rural areas or face chronic health challenges that require consistent, high-quality care.
Helping to lead the university’s strategic and policy response is Mark Birdwhistell, UK’s Senior Vice President for Health and Public Policy. With more than 45 years of experience in healthcare policy and administration, Birdwhistell has played a central role in shaping UK’s efforts to communicate the value of Medicaid—not just in dollars, but in lives improved.
UK’s participation in Kentucky’s Medicaid Directed Payment program, which links funding to quality outcomes, has allowed the university to expand hospital access, reach patients in remote areas, and strengthen partnerships with providers across the Commonwealth. “We’re using this opportunity to show accountability, improve outcomes, and demonstrate how a teaching hospital model can work,” Birdwhistell said.
On this episode of Behind the Blue, Birdwhistell discusses how the university and its health system are adapting to a rapidly evolving Medicaid landscape, and why federal support remains essential to serving the state’s most vulnerable.
‘Behind the Blue’ is available via a variety of podcast providers, including iTunes and Spotify. Become a subscriber to receive new episodes of “Behind the Blue” each week. UK’s latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists and writers will be featured, along with the most important news impacting the university.
Behind the Blue is a joint production of the University of Kentucky and UK HealthCare. Transcripts for this or other episodes of Behind the Blue can be downloaded from the show’s blog page.
To discover how the University of Kentucky is advancing our Commonwealth, click here.