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This initiative began several months ago with our partners the
University of Louisville Kent School of Social Work
and kept working diligently to write a grant to the
Center for Disease Control and Prevention,
for what they call a vulnerable populations grant,
to eliminate health disparities for individuals with diabetes.
We were very, very proud to receive 1 of 6 grants that were awarded nationally,
for 2.5 million dollars over a 5 year period to address health disparities
as it relates to individuals with diabetes.
If we're going to change so that this state can become healthier
and so that we can start saying we're also one of the healthiest place to live
as well as one of the place that has the highest quality of life,
and the most friendly people, and the most beautiful land,
and the greatest traditions in so many arts and cultural areas.
We need to figure out why it is that so many of these illnesses seem to affect
Kentuckians more then people in other places.
We need to really look at the data, look at the genetic backgrounds,
look at peoples health behavior, look at how our society
is fostering or not fostering things that we know will help prevent
these illnesses in the first place.
And of course we need to keep working on treatment so that people
who are affected by the illnesses will have a much better chance
of living well with them and surviving longer.
We know that social problems don't end at the end of the urban core.
We've been committed to working with the state in many capacities
for many years and KIPDA has been an ongoing partner of ours for many years too.
We recognize that to receive an award of 2.5 million dollars
in one of the greatest recessions of this country is quite an honor,
the government is not about giving out money these days.
So to draw attention to the quality of work
that has been awarded and celebrated by this, I think
we all need to take note of that and honor that work.
This is just the beginning of a trek that I think
is going to take us down a path toward greater health
and greater recognition of the needs of some of our rural counties.