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**LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 23, 2023) **— U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell joined officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack and the University of Kentucky’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environment (UK-CAFE) today in a groundbreaking ceremony for a new $65.9 million Forage Animal Production Lab on UK’s campus.

“Today’s groundbreaking for the Forage Animal Production Lab speaks to the heart of what a land-grant institution, like ours, is so distinctively positioned to do – to take basic scientific discovery and apply that knowledge to applications that can be transferred directly to producers,” said UK President Eli Capilouto.”

The new facility housing the Forage-Animal Production Research Unit (FAPRU) is targeted for completion in 2026 and will encompass approximately 52,600 total square feet of office, support and research laboratory space, as well as a collaborative area, headhouse and eight-bay greenhouses.

“For a long time, I’ve said Kentucky’s farmers are some of the best in the world. As a senior member of both the Senate Agriculture Committee and Appropriations Committee, I’ve firmly focused my career on supporting agricultural communities across the Commonwealth, and this research facility builds on that commitment in a big way,” said Senator McConnell. “I was proud to do my part and help secure $65.9 million in federal funding to establish this new lab at the University of Kentucky. Thank you, President Capilouto, Dean Cox and Secretary Vilsack for your partnership on this project.”

The mission of the Forage-Animal Production Research Unit (FAPRU) in Lexington is to improve the productivity, sustainability and competitiveness of forage-based enterprises that raise beef cattle, horses, sheep and goats — particularly operators of small- to medium-sized farms.

“Agricultural research bolsters economic growth and enhances food quality and safety all while combatting the climate crisis,” said Agriculture Secretary Vilsack. “Today’s groundbreaking builds on more than two decades of partnership with the University of Kentucky, while demonstrating USDA’s latest commitment to pushing the boundaries of what is possible for agriculture, and to creating profitable and sustainable systems, rooted in science, that will advance farmers’ production for years to come.”

The completion of a the new FAPRU building will usher in important design upgrades and functionality, more opportunities for collaboration, and an expanded research capacity to support forage-based farm enterprises in Kentucky and other Transition Zone states.

The new FAPRU building will be staffed by six ARS scientists and seven UK researchers, along with laboratory technicians and administrative personnel. Research conducted there, among other projects, will include developing sustainable forage systems to ensure the performance and health of beef cattle and small ruminants such as sheep and goats; minimizing the incidence of tall fescue toxicosis and evaluating the potential of natural antibiotic alternatives to improve nitrogen efficiency and reduce enteric methane emissions by cattle.

“This new facility will ensure continued innovative research for grazing-related industries,” said Nancy Cox, vice president for Land-grant Engagement and dean of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. “We are grateful to Leader McConnell for taking our partnership with ARS to a new level.”

The Agricultural Research Service is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific in-house research agency. Daily, ARS focuses on solutions to agricultural problems affecting America.

“This work and these efforts, of course, also would not be possible without partners like those in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, represented by Secretary Vilsack and the members of his team who are with us today,” Capilouto said. “Senator McConnell has been our steady and steadfast partner in our mission to transform and advance this state – from cancer care to translational science, from the scourge of opioid misuse to the agricultural innovations we are celebrating today, he has pushed and supported us to do and be more for the state we all serve. The bottom line is this: the $65.9 million that is making this lab a reality would not have happened without Sen. McConnell’s strong support and unyielding leadership.”

_As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $501 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.   _

_In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky. _

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 4, 2023) — The University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center has been recognized by the National Pancreas Foundation (NPF) as an approved NPF Center of Excellence.

The designation is awarded after a rigorous audit review to determine that an institution's focus is on multidisciplinary treatment of pancreatic cancer, treating the “whole patient” with a focus on the best possible outcomes and an improved quality of life.

“We are honored to receive the NPF designation, which highlight’s Markey’s commitment to multidisciplinary treatment and providing the best and most innovative patient care possible,” said Joseph Kim, M.D., UK Markey Cancer Center chief of surgical oncology. “The recognition is also a testament to the dedication of our entire pancreatic cancer team in delivering excellent patient care.”

An approved NPF Center has to meet the criteria that were developed by a task force made up of invited subject matter experts and patient advocates. The criteria includes having the required expert physician specialties such as gastroenterologists, pancreas surgeons, and interventional radiologists, along with more patient-focused programs such as a pain management service, psychosocial support and more.

UK HealthCare’s Digestive Health Program was also recently recognized as an NPF Center for the treatment of pancreatitis. The two UK designations are listed among 171 NPF Centers across the nation.

“We are thrilled to expand our NPF Centers of Excellence Program to better serve the needs of patients suffering from pancreas disease,” said David Bakelman, CEO of the National Pancreas Foundation. “The NPF Centers of Excellence Program is one of the pillars of NPF, and we are looking forward to working with our current and new centers.”

For more information about the National Pancreas Foundation, please visit www.pancreasfoundation.org.

_UK HealthCare is the hospitals and clinics of the University of Kentucky. But it is so much more. It is more than 10,000 dedicated health care professionals committed to providing advanced subspecialty care for the most critically injured and ill patients from the Commonwealth and beyond. It also is the home of the state’s only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer center, a Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit that cares for the tiniest and sickest newborns, the region’s only Level 1 trauma center and Kentucky’s top hospital ranked by U.S. News & World Report.  _

_As an academic research institution, we are continuously pursuing the next generation of cures, treatments, protocols and policies. Our discoveries have the potential to change what’s medically possible within our lifetimes. Our educators and thought leaders are transforming the health care landscape as our six health professions colleges teach the next generation of doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other health care professionals, spreading the highest standards of care. UK HealthCare is the power of advanced medicine committed to creating a healthier Kentucky, now and for generations to come. _

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 27, 2023) — A plan to begin design work for a new patient care tower at the University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler Hospital was endorsed Thursday by the UK Board of Trustees Health Care Committee.

The support for an additional patient care tower was one of several projects endorsed by the committee, which would expand or renovate key health care units and continue to expand the footprint of specialty and ambulatory care services on the UK Chandler campus.

The Health Care committee also endorsed renovation of the existing Mother Baby and Labor and Delivery units, an expansion of  operating rooms, relocation and renovation of advanced endoscopy services and establishment of a new observational unit. Final approval for all the projects is pending the UK Board of Trustees vote on Friday.

As part of the projects supported, UK will move forward with $180 million to initiate the design phase to expand patient care facilities to accommodate additional inpatient beds and clinical support services at UK Chandler Hospital, ranked Kentucky’s no. 1 hospital seven years consecutively by U.S. News & World Report.

“Growth and increasing demand for advanced subspecialty care along with the need for facilities that provide maximum flexibility to create capacity and ensure patients are seen without delays has led to the planning for an expansion of the Chandler campus to ensure the needs of our current and future patients are met,” said Eric N. Monday, UK’s acting co-executive vice president for health affairs and executive vice president for finance administration.

In May 2011, the first three patient care floors of the 12-story UK Chandler Pavilion A with two bed towers were dedicated and opened to patients.

Since then, UK HealthCare has experienced strong, consistent inpatient admissions growth including 38,400 patient discharges in fiscal year 2022 and 15,700 patient transfers accepted.

The fit out of the last shelled patient floor in Pavilion A will be completed later this year and UK HealthCare expects these beds to be fully utilized as soon as the space is open, Monday said. “More and more patients need access to the advanced subspecialty care that only UK HealthCare provides. We don’t want to turn patients away or make them wait to access our care. Additional beds on the Chandler campus are an important part of ensuring we have the capacity to meet the needs of our patients.”

Along with steady increases in inpatient volumes, UK HealthCare also is facing challenges posed by aging facilities in the original sections of both UK Chandler Hospital built in 1962 and UK Good Samaritan Hospital which opened at its current South Limestone location in 1907.

“Unfortunately, the age of these facilities and their infrastructures creates multiple challenges in supporting current day health care technologies and patient care operations,” said acting co-EVPHA Robert DiPaola. DiPaola also serves as UK’s Provost.

The design phase for the project will include detailed programming services, schematic design through construction documentation phases and budget estimates for all phases with projected timelines. The new patient care tower will include adult and pediatric inpatient rooms, observation spaces, operating rooms, minor procedures rooms, diagnostic services, imaging services, pharmacy services, laboratory services and administration and support areas as well as meeting spaces.

Additional Board of Trustees approval will be required to initiate the construction phase. The project, authorized by the 2022 Kentucky General Assembly, is within the total legislative authorization of $200 million and will be funded with agency funds.

In addition to the new bed tower, the health care committee approved a $82 million renovation plan for several existing areas and services.

Renovation plans include:

• Mother Baby and Labor Delivery units — Renovation of approximately 34,000-square-feet space on the third floor of Pavilion HA in the Mother Baby and Labor and Delivery Units. The project includes renovation of triage and post anesthesia care units; standardization of operating rooms; creation of family space within the labor and delivery unit; update of staff workspaces; and renovation of all inpatient rooms, labor and delivery rooms and public areas. The project also includes the relocation of the OB post-partum rooms to another patient floor within the Chandler facility.

• Endoscopy — New space for advanced endoscopy services on the first floor of Pavilion A in the Interventional Services Suite. The project includes two fixed and two mobile C-arm rooms in existing procedure rooms, create two general endoscopy rooms, clinical support spaces and a potential scope reprocessing area adjacent to procedure rooms. Existing prep and recovery rooms equipped to support the added advanced endoscopy rooms.

• Observational Unit — Creation of an observation unit in 5,500-square-feet of ground floor space adjacent to the existing Pavilion A Emergency Department (ED) that most recently used to temporarily support overflow ED patients.

• **ORs **— Completion of an operating room expansion using 15,000-square-feet of shelled space adjacent to the existing operating rooms and pre-op/post-op rooms on the second floor of Pavilion A. This project will create up to eight additional operating rooms and associated support spaces.

_UK HealthCare is the hospitals and clinics of the University of Kentucky. But it is so much more. It is more than 10,000 dedicated health care professionals committed to providing advanced subspecialty care for the most critically injured and ill patients from the Commonwealth and beyond. It also is the home of the state’s only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer center, a Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit that cares for the tiniest and sickest newborns, the region’s only Level 1 trauma center and Kentucky’s top hospital ranked by U.S. News & World Report.  _

_As an academic research institution, we are continuously pursuing the next generation of cures, treatments, protocols and policies. Our discoveries have the potential to change what’s medically possible within our lifetimes. Our educators and thought leaders are transforming the health care landscape as our six health professions colleges teach the next generation of doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other health care professionals, spreading the highest standards of care. UK HealthCare is the power of advanced medicine committed to creating a healthier Kentucky, now and for generations to come. _