Dr. Elizabeth Rhodus Promotes ‘Healthy Aging across the Bluegrass’

Elizabeth Rhodus, PhD, has worked closely with older Kentuckians facing Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). She also has witnessed firsthand how poor health, limited resources, and high poverty rates have served as barriers to proper prevention and treatment.

Now, an assistant professor of behavioral science at the UK College of Medicine and Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, she has established a new program aimed at advancing the health of senior citizens in Kentucky communities, particularly communities that are underserved.

Dr. Rhodus’ program is called Healthy Brain Aging across the Bluegrass. The program supports improved health and well-being through community engagement to ensure early identification and intervention for risk factors of ADRD.

“All of this is in hopes to help prevention and delay onset of symptoms, as well as to continue to build the communitybased clinical trial enterprise at UK,” Dr. Rhodus said. “We’re looking at the resources we can provide and connect people with to improve their quality of life.”

This summer, Dr. Rhodus and her program were invited to join an event in Franklin County, Ky. Unity in the Community, organized by Rosby Glover, DMin, senior pastor of the First Baptist Church Frankfort. Health care professionals and 16 community health care organizations volunteered services at First Baptist Church to provide COVID-19 immunizations, educational resources, and screenings for blood glucose, memory, nutrition, and emotional health.

More than 250 community members attended the event and were connected with vital resources. Dr. Rhodus’ team logged 50 balance screenings, 50 smoking cessation screenings, 41 diabetes screenings, 40 blood pressure screenings, 38 COVID-19 vaccines, and 25 memory screenings.

“It was really surprising because almost 50 percent of the screens across the board were abnormal, which really indicated the need,” Dr. Rhodus said. Diabetes screenings presented greatest risk with 26 people in diabetic range and 12 without prior diagnosis.

Many attendees also reported lack of insurance and limited transportation preventing health care access. Community partners were able to provide information on Medicaid and reduced payment options for medical care, as well as refer people to free clinics.

Dr. Crystal Totten Selected for National Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Program

Crystal Totten, MD, assistant professor of surgery, was selected to the 2022 AAMC Healthcare Executive Diversity and Inclusion Certificate (HEDIC) Program, an intensive academic program of diversity education specifically designed to develop the competencies leaders needed to drive diversity as a core component of excellence in health care.

Upon completion of the program, participants are required to present their project before the cohort and instructors and at their institution.

Since the program launched in 2013, over 80 faculty and staff from over 50 AAMC member institutions and allied health associations have developed the competencies needed to drive diversity and inclusion as core components of excellence in health care.

Dr Totten’s project included the framework for an Individualized Professional Development Program from start date to year 7 of faculty employment; with interval assessments, self-reflection and strategic planning for career progression to combat delayed promotion readiness and attrition rates.