Governor Steve Beshear Reappoints College of Nursing Faculty Member to Kynect Advisory Board
Governor Steve Beshear reappointed College of Nursing Assistant Professor Kathy Wheeler, PhD, RN, APRN, FAANP, to the Kynect Advisory Board on September 25. In this role Wheeler will represent health care providers in counsel to the Kynect initiative, which assists the state in pursuing the development of a state-based health care system.
The board—a direct outcome of the Affordable Care Act—has members representing every aspect of health care and health care delivery in the Commonwealth. Through the leadership of Gov. Beshear, Kentucky chose to pursue a nationally recognized state-based exchange as opposed to defaulting to a federal system.
“It has been refreshing to see such an initiative unfold so successfully and be part of the process,” said Wheeler. “As a clinician, I’ve started to see patients come into clinics for care—patients who had not previously been insured and who had postponed care because of lack of coverage. I like thinking we're going to be able to move patients along a healthier path earlier in their lives.”
The Kynect Advisory Board has six subcommittees: Behavioral Health, Dental and Vision, Education and Outreach, Navigator/Agent, Qualified Health Plans, and Small Employer Health Options Program. Wheeler continues to serve on the Education and Outreach Committee.
“The success of this effort is mostly going to depend on provider participation and engagement, as well as good communication between everyone involved,” said Wheeler. “My ultimate goal is to see health care outcomes improve for Kentuckians.”
Wheeler earned her bachelor’s in nursing in 1978 and her master’s in nursing 1981, both from UK’s College of Nursing. In 2006, she earned her PhD in education from Capella University in Minneapolis, Minn. She currently teaches in the Doctor of Nursing Practice Program. Wheeler is also a family nurse practitioner at the Polk Dalton Clinic, a family practice clinic of the UK Department of Family and Community Medicine.
