Flaget Memorial Hospital Foundation Receives More Than $223,000 for “Telehealth Solutions for Rural Kentucky”

BARDSTOWN, Ky. (Jan. 20, 2022) – The Flaget Memorial Hospital Foundation has received $223,879.09 from the American Rescue Plan SHIP (Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program) COVID-19 Testing and Mitigation Program. These funds will go toward scaling “Telehealth Solutions for Rural Kentucky” to 12 counties across the state and offering home health services to 331 patients in these counties. This project will improve access to higher levels of care and follow-up care for patients with COVID-19 or acute and chronic conditions in infectious disease, cardiology, pulmonology, and neurology through the use of advanced technology. 

With this additional funding, the project will now reach community members in Nelson, Washington, Marion, Bullitt, Hardin, Taylor, LaRue, Spencer, Jefferson, Grayson, Green and Adair counties.

“With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it’s important that everyone has access to the care they need,” said Leslie Smart, CFRE, president, Flaget Memorial Hospital Foundation. “Expanding this program to 12 additional counties will help us continue our goal of providing access to higher levels of care for people of all backgrounds.”

CHI Saint Joseph Health’s “Telehealth Solutions for Rural Kentucky” was initiated by a $1,022,334 USDA grant received in early 2021. To continue and expand this project, CHI Saint Joseph Health Foundations, in partnership with CHI Saint Joseph Health Medical Group and CommonSpirit Health at Home, received four grants totaling $1,074,828 to fully scale the project. 

The remaining grant funds were awarded to the Saint Joseph Mount Sterling Foundation, Saint Joseph Berea Foundation and CHI Saint Joseph Health. In total, CHI Saint Joseph Health’s “Telehealth Solutions for Rural Kentucky” will expand and offer telehealth services to residents in 50 Kentucky counties and offer home health services to 3,090 patients in those counties.

About CHI Saint Joseph Health

CHI Saint Joseph Health, part of CommonSpirit Health, is one of the largest and most comprehensive health systems in the Commonwealth of Kentucky with 100 locations in 20 counties, including hospitals, physician groups, clinics, primary care centers, specialty institutes, home health agencies and an ambulatory Care Center. The hospitals in CHI Saint Joseph Health are Flaget Memorial Hospital, Saint Joseph Berea, Saint Joseph East, Saint Joseph Hospital, Saint Joseph Jessamine, Saint Joseph London, Saint Joseph Mount Sterling, and Women’s Hospital at Saint Joseph East. In total, the health system serves patients in 35 counties statewide. CHI Saint Joseph Health is dedicated to providing a wide array of services toward a goal of building a healthier future for all. CHI Saint Joseph Health embodies a strong mission and faith-based heritage and works through local partnerships to expand access to care in the communities it serves.

About Flaget Memorial Hospital

Flaget Memorial Hospital, part of CHI Saint Joseph Health, is a 52-bed facility located in Bardstown, Kentucky. Established in 1951 by the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, the facility serves residents of Nelson, Hardin, Marion, Washington, Spencer, Bullitt and LaRue counties. The facility is also home to Nelson County’s first full-service cancer center and is nationally recognized for orthopedic and surgical care, as well as inpatient satisfaction.

About Flaget Memorial Hospital Foundation

Flaget Memorial Hospital Foundation supports CHI Saint Joseph Health’s drive for excellence by inspiring donors to make a tangible difference through their philanthropic investment in outstanding patient care facilities and services, the education of caregivers, advanced clinical research and improved access to quality medical care.

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