The WKU Institute for Rural Health (IRH) and the WKU Center for Environmental and Workplace Health (CEWH) are excited to announce that a multidisciplinary team of faculty and academic leaders received $145,002.93 through the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services State University Partnership Program (SUP28 Cohort) for their project, Bridging the Gap: Equity-Focused Workforce Development for Kentucky Medicaid.

The project is led by Dr. Kara Haughtigan, Principal Investigator (PI) and faculty member in the WKU School of Nursing and Allied Health, as well as a member of the CEWH within the College of Health and Human Services (CHHS).

Dr. Kim Link, Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI), represents both the WKU IRH and the WKU School of Nursing and Allied Health (CHHS).

Additional Co-Investigators include:

• Dr. Gretchen Macy, Department of Public Health, CEWH, CHHS
• Dr. Katrina Burch, Department of Psychological Sciences, Ogden College of Science and Engineering, and CEWH
• Dr. Zach Farley, Department of Public Health, CEWH, CHHS
• Ms. Catherine Malin, Center Director of the South Central Kentucky Area Health Education Center (AHEC)

This collaborative initiative aims to strengthen Kentucky’s health and behavioral health workforce by identifying inequities and developing strategies to support a more diverse, sustainable Medicaid workforce across the Commonwealth.

“This award reflects WKU’s commitment to improving health outcomes through evidence-based approaches and strong interdisciplinary partnerships,” Dr. Kim Link shared.

The project will support statewide understanding of Medicaid workforce challenges, expand capacity for rural health initiatives, and contribute directly to Kentucky’s efforts to enhance equitable access to care.

According to their website, ​​​​​​​​​the State University Partnership (SUP) is a research program between Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) leadership and university research centers to expand Cabinet research capacity, support development of evidence-based policy and foster a research community in the commonwealth.