As a cardiovascular pharmacist and researcher caring for patients across Kentucky, I see every day how heart disease and stroke shape the health of our communities. These conditions remain the leading causes of death in our state, taking more than 14,000 Kentucky lives each year. The burden is even heavier in rural and Appalachian regions, where access to preventive care is limited and risk factors are more prevalent. What is most heartbreaking is that many of these deaths are preventable — if we choose to invest in the right systems.
That’s why I support strengthening the Kentucky Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention Program (KHDSP). This is Kentucky’s only statewide effort dedicated to preventing and managing heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Local health departments, hospitals, and community partners depend on it. A proposed $1.725 million appropriation would modernize and expand this program and allow Kentucky to draw down matching CDC dollars. That means more blood‑pressure outreach, better chronic‑disease management, and improved support for the rural communities that need it most.
This investment will not only save lives — it will reduce long‑term Medicaid and hospital costs by preventing heart attacks and strokes before they happen. This is critical for our communities often faced with access issues. Furthermore, we have all personally can see loved ones impacted by lack of screening or follow-up. It also ties in with the advance of cardio-kidney-metabolic implementation the western part of the state Baptist Health is leading in partnership with the American Heart Association via a grant we have received.
We must also ensure every Kentucky student has access to effective CPR training. Sudden cardiac arrest can happen anywhere — to students, teachers, coaches, or spectators. When CPR is performed immediately, survival rates can double or triple. Kentucky already requires CPR instruction, but many schools lack the equipment and resources to deliver high‑quality, hands‑on training.
A modest $250,000 annual investment would ensure that students statewide are prepared to act in an emergency situation. This is one of the simplest, highest‑impact public health investments we can make. We have seen several recent moments in our communities where arrest have happened on our school grounds. These skills have been critical for positive outcomes. Furthermore, we are working with the American Heart Association to provide access to AEDs to public sites, such as the soccer fields and churches, to assure the community, including these students, have the tools to contribute to a saving a life.
Finally, Kentucky needs a fully funded statewide CARES registry — the gold‑standard tool for tracking cardiac arrest outcomes. Without it, EMS agencies and hospitals lack the data needed to improve response times and survival. A $25,000 annual investment would give Kentucky the system needed to save hundreds of lives each year. These efforts will help our local health-system and EMS be able to better respond to gaps and needs to assure we are able to provide timely, effective, and safe care.
These priorities are practical, affordable, and lifesaving. Kentucky families deserve nothing less.
I urge every Kentuckian to contact their lawmakers and ask them to support these lifesaving investments. Your voice can help ensure that more families are protected, more communities are prepared, and more lives are saved.
Dr. Craig Beavers is a cardiovascular pharmacist and researcher in Kentucky.
