Overview of Service Area

Appalachian Kentucky
The UK PRC service area is Appalachian Kentucky Ñ specifically those counties within Kentucky designated as Appalachian by the Appalachian Regional Commission. This region, shaded purple in the map below, comprises 51 counties in eastern Kentucky.

Economic Burden
The 51 counties that comprise Appalachian Kentucky are among the poorest in Appalachia. Compared with the U.S. population, Appalachian Kentuckians have lower income levels, higher poverty levels, and greater unemployment rates. Almost 80% of the counties in Appalachia Kentucky have a shortage of designated health professionals.

Cancer Burden
The Kentucky Cancer Registry (KCR) collects data on all cancers diagnosed in residents of Kentucky, recording about 95% of all new cases in the state. The KCR provides both incidence and mortality rates in Kentucky by varied geographic designations including statewide, county, Area Development District, Appalachian region, and rural/urban. U.S. rates are provided by the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program, SEER. Compared with the U.S., mortality and incidence rates for many cancer are higher in Appalachian Kentucky, including lung cancer, cervical cancer, and colorectal cancer.