There’s a lot to talk about in this issue of MD-Update. Here’s a preview.
Start with the KMA’s recap of HB 176 from the 2026 Kentucky legislative session, which reforms aspects of prior authorization in state-regulated health plans. It’s a win for patients and physicians.
Cervical cancer screening is transitioning to self-collected HPV sampling, writes Lori Caloia, MD, MPH, deputy commissioner for clinical affairs at the KY Department for Public Health. This change will increase screening for under-screened and hard-to-reach populations.
Informed consent “is not simply a box to check or a form to sign,” writes Christine Stanley, JD. She provides a reminder and some practical tips with an online link to a check list.
Maternal Fetal Medicine & More
Great news is coming for expectant parents and newborns when Norton Children’s opens its Fetal Care Center this fall. Tamina Singh, MD, and Kristine Lain, MD, were generous with their time when we spoke about their work with mothers, fathers, and babies and the team of providers needed in critical moments.
Scottie Day, MD, at Golisano Children’s Hospital at UK HealthCare, wears many hats during his work week. I invite you to read our profile on Dr. Day. He is a remarkable man with an interesting story to tell.
Listening to her patients is Jennifer Ford, OB-GYN, Baptist Health’s secret sauce, relying on a lifetime of experience and multiple roles: wife, mother, social worker, and counselor for her patients.
Audrey Summers Farooqui, MD, UofL Health, found her calling in the sub-specialty of reproductive psychiatry. She is also the medical director for KyCOMPASS, a program the KY DPH created to help providers who care for women in the perinatal through the one-year postpartum period.
Danesh Mazloomdoost, MD, medical director of Wellward Regenerative Medicine, examines the overlooked connection between the endocrine and musculoskeletal system. The public perception that estrogen and testosterone only matter in the areas of sexual health is unfortunate and unwarranted, he says.
SANE, Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner, and “Compassionate Friends” are two programs that offer compassionate care to victims and survivors of sexual assault or the loss of a child. My thanks to CHI Saint Joseph London and Dr. Steven Lippman for sharing these stories with MD-Update.
Finally, the Lexington Medical Society was very busy in May, hosting their Symposium on Healthy Living and the Foundation’s 36th annual golf tournament. Photos and recaps begin on page 36.
Graduation Day 2026
A very proud moment for me was May 26, 2026 at the J. M. Atherton High School graduation ceremony at Freedom Hall in Louisville, when my daughter Maddie “Gideon” Dunn, Valedictorian, International Baccalaureate diplomat, National Honor Society member, archery team captain, speech and debate team member, and all-around outstanding young woman received her diploma.
After a summer as a YMCA summer camp counselor, Maddie is heading to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, (RPI) the alma mater of NASA’s Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman. The sky is not even the limit for Maddie, in my opinion.
Drop me a line if you have a story to tell. Until next issue in September, all the best,
Gil Dunn, Editor/Publisher MD-Update
