UK Healthcare celebrates 60 years of Healthcare at UK Healthcare symposium

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - UK Healthcare is celebrating 60 years of serving the state.

The hospital started back in 1962 and has grown since.

Friday morning, UK alumni and former staff members attended a symposium on the future of medicine.

That future involves more access and easier access for patients. Dr. Mark Newman, Executive Vice President of Health Affairs, says that is probably the most significant emphasis for UK Healthcare as they look to innovate over the next 60 years.

“It’s an opportunity for us to look back and see all the great things that we’ve done, but it’s also an opportunity to be futuristic,” Newman said.

Dr. Newman was one of three speakers at Friday’s event. He says one focus for the future is making health care more accessible.

“It’s nice to be good, but if the patient can’t get to you, you can’t provide that care. That’s what we have to do. We have to make that easier to occur,” Newman said.

“We want to continue to enhance access to make it easier for people to get to us. We want to work together across the state to increase the healthcare workforce so that it’s easier. And we want to, again, make it easier for people to get great healthcare all over the state,”

Dr. Newman was also joined by the Food and Drug Administration Commissioner, Dr. Robert Califf, and the founder and chair of Exponential Medicine, Dr. Daniel Kraft, as speakers this morning.