About UPAL
About our relationship with the University of Kentucky: UPAL
We are pleased to share that Bluegrass Community Hospital is collaborating with the University of Kentucky through a program called University of Kentucky Process for Admission to Lifepoint (UPAL). The mission of UPAL is to provide timely and appropriate care for patients who enter the University of Kentucky Emergency Department and need to be admitted for care when there is not an inpatient bed available. These patients may be offered a transfer to one of our four Lifepoint Health hospitals in the Greater Lexington area: Georgetown Community Hospital, Clark Regional Medical Center, Bourbon Community Hospital or Bluegrass Community Hospital.
Not all patients are eligible for a transfer through UPAL. Clinical staff at both the sending hospital (UK) and the receiving hospital will evaluate the patient's needs and ensure that the receiving hospital is able to provide the care you need.
Patients who meet the criteria for transfer have a choice: they may choose to stay at UK and board in the Emergency Department while they wait for a room. Alternatively, patients may choose to accept the transfer and be directly admitted to inpatient status at our hospital.
Bluegrass Community Hospital collaborates with UK HealthCare a number of other ways:
- Cardiology through the UK Gill Heart and Vascular Institute Affiliate Network
- Stroke Care through the UK/Norton Healthcare Stroke Care Network.
We are proud to work together to ensure high-quality patient care close to home for the Greater Lexington area.