Alvin Sears

Alvin Sears, age 80, passed away on Saturday, July 29, 2023 at the UK Hospital in Lexington KY. He was born in Corbin, KY on August 30, 1942. Visitation will be Friday, August 4, from 2 pm until the memorial service at 4 pm with Rev. John Mitten officiating. Vankirk-Grisell Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.

David Faulkner

David Faulkner, age 67, of Corbin, KY, passed away on Saturday, July 29, 2023 at the UK Medical Center. A memorial visitation will be on Tuesday, August 1, from 4 pm until 6 pm at the Vankirk-Grisell Funeral Home, Corbin, KY. Vankirk-Grisell Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.

Allen Helton

Allen Helton, age 67 of Rockholds, KY passed away July 27th at Markey Cancer Center Lexington, KY. Funeral service was Monday, July 31 at Vankirk-Grisell Funeral Home in Corbin. Burial will follow in the Calvary Cemetery. Vankirk-Grisell Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.

Randall Monhollen

Randall Monhollen, age 54, passed away on Thursday, July 27, 2023 at UK Medical Center. He was born in Corbin, KY on October 29, 1968. Arrangements are incomplete at this time and will be announced at a later date. Vankirk-Grisell Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.

Beverly Baker

Beverly Baker, age 69, passed away at home on Sunday, July 30, 2023. Visitation will be on Wednesday, August 2 from 6pm until 8pm and funeral services will be at 1 pm on Thursday, August 3rd at Vankirk-Grisell Funeral Home. Burial will follow in Calvary Cemetery Fox Addition. Vankirk-Grisell Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.

Nancy Ellen Bunch

Nancy Ellen Bunch, age 68, of Corbin, Kentucky went to be with Jesus on the morning of Wednesday, July 26, 2023 at Ashton Grove Assisted Living in Georgetown, Kentucky.
Nancy was a joy-filled and warm member of the tri-county community. She was the daughter of loving parents, the wife, of many years, to a loving husband, the adoring mother of two children, and two grandchildren, a loyal sister, sister-in-law, and friend.
Nancy is preceded in death by her parents, Hiram and Freda Begley, her husband, Robert Bunch, and her brother John Begley.
She is survived by her daughter, Rachel Agee and husband Taylor, her son, Brandon Bunch, and her granddaughters, Ellen and Layne Agee, a brother, Coffey Begley and wife, Janet, a sister-in-law, Kathey Begley, and a host of nieces, nephews, great nieces, and great nephews.
Services were Sunday, July 30, at Cumberland Memorial Gardens in Lily, KY.
A celebration of life followed at The Pennington in downtown Corbin, KY.
Most of us will meet a “Nancy” once in our lifetime and the gift that we have and will continue to receive from their memory is that you can always find a reason to be joyful. Maybe, without knowing, Nancy has blessed everyone in her life with more memories to rejoice and laugh about than to mourn.
What a legacy that joy can be. As Nancy’s family and friends mourn her passing, there undoubtedly will be tears, but there will be equal portions of laughter, quiet smiles over connected memories, and the reminder to everyone present that they always had someone in their corner, every step of the way.
In lieu of flowers donations can be made in her honor to Bluegrass Care Navigators Hospice or Alzheimer’s Association.
Vankirk-Grisell Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.

Loretta Lynn Westerfield Tidwell

Loretta Lynn Westerfield Tidwell, age 56, of Indian Trace Circle, Barbourville, Kentucky, passed away on Saturday, July 29, 2023 at the Hazard ARH Hospital in Hazard, Kentucky.
She was the mother of Elizabeth Spencer and husband, Jeff of Barbourville, Kentucky and Kerrigan Fox and husband, Andrew of Somerset, Kentucky. She was the daughter of Joseph Westerfield of Pikeville, Kentucky. She was the sister of Edwina Wilson and husband, David of London, Kentucky. She was the grandmother of Annamarie Spencer, Sarai Spencer, Olivia Spencer, and Riley Spencer all of Barbourville, Kentucky, Savannah Summers of London, Kentucky, Mataley Fox, Ethan Fox, Anthony Fox, Molly-Lynn Fox, Titus Fox and Kadence Fox all of Somerset, Kentucky. She was also blessed with a host of other relatives, church family and friends to mourn her passing. She was of the Baptist faith and attended the Solid Rock Baptist Church of Corbin, Kentucky.
She was preceded in death by one son, Matthew Summers, by her mother, Daisy Stepp Westerfield and by one sister, JoAnn Westerfield Nunn.
Memorial services for Ms. Loretta Lynn Westerfield Tidwell will be conducted at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday afternoon at the Solid Rock Baptist Church in Corbin, Kentucky with Bro. Zach Wilson and Andrew Fox officiating.
Burial will follow in the Horse Creek Cemetery in Corbin, Kentucky.
The family will receive friends at the Solid Rock Baptist Church from 12:00 Noon until the memorial service hour of 2:00 p.m. on Thursday.
Laurel Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.

Saundra Woodworth

Saundra Woodworth, age 61, of Corbin, KY passed away on Thursday, July 27, 2023 at Baptist Health Corbin.
She was born April 28, 1962 in Darlington, WI, to the late David Youle and Clara Ball Youle. Along with her father she was preceded in death by her husband, Marvin Woodworth.
She is survived by one son, Steven Woodworth of Corbin, KY; two daughters, Rebecca Troutman (Mike) of Paintsville, KY, and Kathleen England (Jody) of Louisville, KY; four grandchildren, Lorianna, Aiden, Bastian, Maisey; and one grandchild on the way, Daemon; mother, Clara Youle of Corbin, KY; three brothers, Dann Youle (Chris) of Grand Rapids, MI, Barry Youle (Heidi) of London, KY, and Rob Youle of Corbin, KY; several nieces, nephews, and a host of relatives and friends to mourn her passing.
A memorial service was held on Monday, July 31, at the Ellison Funeral Home Chapel with Pastor Seth Carter officiating.
Condolences may be made to the family at www.ellisonfh.com.
Ellison Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.

Breastmilk is the best formula for baby

I was a breastfeeding mom. All the women around me in my family breastfed their babies. I had high hopes for the whole idea. Breastfeeding is natural. However, I was unprepared. I didn’t understand that it is a skill that baby and mom must learn. I didn’t know that, while breastfeeding is helped along by instinct, but it takes some practice. I was frustrated, sore, and tired. How was I supposed to know if my baby was getting enough food?

What I didn’t know then was that many moms struggle and worry at first. I didn’t realize there are specially trained women to help me called lactation consultants. That could have saved me a lot of frustration. I would have learned that helping baby to latch on effectively is key to painless effective breastfeeding. An expert can help you fine-tune that.

Breastfeeding is best. It is indisputable. Breast milk is perfectly formulated for your baby. Breastfeeding helps keep baby safe from infections, asthma and many other health risks.  Infants who breastfeed are less likely to die from sudden infant death syndrome or to develop leukemia. More than 60% of Whitley County babies are breastfed. That is great, but it could be better. We should at least beat Kentucky’s average of 71%.

Science has done well coming up with an alternative in baby formula, but it still cannot compete with what your body can produce. Your body makes milk that is much more nutritious than formula. That means baby needs less breastmilk. You know baby is eating enough if they have regular wet and dirty diapers and are gaining weight.

I know it is not always possible to breastfeed. There are sometimes medical conditions that prevent breastfeeding. I am a former foster parent. There were babies I didn’t have a choice but to feed formula. It is something that you should talk with your health care provider about while you are pregnant. Also talk to the child’s health care provider after the baby is born. Seek out support early. There are lots of resources available, and don’t be bashful about getting answers to all your questions.

Good nutrition is important for a mother to produce milk for breastfeeding. Check if you meet income limits to qualify for WIC (Women, Infants and Children) food supplement program. As soon as you find out you are pregnant, check with the Health Department about signing up.

Baptist Health Corbin has lactation consultants on staff that can help while you are still at the hospital, or even after you are home. Whitley County Health Department has the HANDS program that is free. Sign up when you are pregnant or before baby is 90 days old. With HANDS, a specially trained staff person will help you find the resources you need in the community, including help with breastfeeding. They also help you learn about baby’s needs and development.

WIC has several services besides food to help moms breastfeed. A breastfeeding peer support mom is a woman who has experience with breastfeeding and the WIC program. This local mom offers telephone support to answer questions and give tips. WIC also has a certified lactation consultant who can help problem-solve any issues mom or baby might have.

The WIC program can help you access a free breast pump to use. This is especially helpful for working mothers, allowing you to pump breastmilk and freeze it for baby to use later. Breastfeeding is a “use it or lose it” thing. If you breastfeed less, your body will make less milk. This means it is important to pump when you go back to work at least until baby is six months old. Pumping breastmilk also allows other family members to help take care of baby.

There are laws in place to support new breastfeeding mothers. The PUMP Act law requires most places you work to let you pump when you need to. The employer must supply break time and a space other than a bathroom to pump. Most health insurance programs, including Medicaid, have services that help moms breastfeed. This might include extra free services, access to breast pumps or other lactation consultants.

Breastfeeding supplies benefits in addition to a healthier baby. Breastfeeding is free. All the stress and heartache from the formula shortage didn’t affect those who were breastfeeding. You don’t have to pack anything special when you take baby out in the community when you breastfeed. You don’t have to mix anything, and there are no bottles to wash.

Don’t be embarrassed to breastfeed when you are out in the community. It is important for moms to know that they have the right to breastfeed in public. Most moms and babies learn to breastfeed with a blanket thrown over a shoulder to give you and baby privacy.

Family members can help support moms with breastfeeding. Wake up with baby at night and change the diaper so mom just has to feed baby. Encourage mom to reach out for help if she starts to feel frustrated or worried.

Health care providers should encourage breastfeeding with pregnant moms. Bring up the topic. Encourage questions. Know what support is available in the community. Share resources.

Breastfeeding has important benefits for baby and mom. Increasing breastfeeding rates will make our whole community healthier for years to come. To learn more about HANDS or WIC breastfeeding support, call 606-549-3380.

Baptist Health Foundation Corbin awarded $1.2 million grant to expand behavioral health services

The Baptist Health Foundation Corbin is getting a $1.2 million grant over a four-year period to expand capacity to address behavioral health and/or substance use disorder/opioid use disorder (SUD/OUD) for primary care patients in Knox, Whitley and Madison counties in southcentral and southeastern Kentucky.

These counties represent large populations of mental health underserved residents who also experience high rates of complex health conditions including diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease, Baptist Health officials said in a release.

The Health Resources and Services Administration awarded the grant through the federal office of Rural Health Policy’s Rural Health Network Development (RHND) Program.

“Families in Knox, Whitley, and Madison counties have been greatly impacted by substance abuse, compounded with other major life stressors, such as complex health conditions, poverty, and unemployment,” said Anthony Powers, President at Baptist Health Corbin. “Having this team approach of resources in place for patients located in rural communities will ease their travel burden, and improve their ability to seek out healthcare to take a proactive approach in their own health.”

Using a collaborative approach, RHND partners, including Baptist Health Corbin, Grace Health, Barbourville Family Health, and Dr. Gaurang Shah, will increase access to integrated primary care and behavioral health substance use disorder treatment services over the four-year project period.

Baptist Health Corbin’s Behavioral Health Virtual Care HUB will be a key component for increasing integration. Integrated care can be defined as the care that results from a practice team of primary care and behavioral health clinicians working together with patients and families using a systematic and cost-effective approach to provide patient-centered care for a defined population.

This care may address mental health and substance abuse conditions, health behaviors (including their contribution to chronic medical illnesses), life stressors and crises, stress-related physical symptoms, and ineffective patterns of healthcare utilization. Integrated care, specifically behavioral health integrated with primary care, is increasingly recognized as a best practice and there is a multitude of evidence supporting this model of care, according to the release.

The grant award will support efforts to achieve the following outcomes over the four-year project period:

• Address the gap in knowledge about substance use disorder treatment in primary care by adding an addiction specialist to provide education and consultation for primary care providers.
• Address the behavioral health workforce shortage by adding a family nurse practitioner.
• Reduce social determinants of health barriers, especially those related to transportation, by offering telehealth services.
• Increase access and awareness of the Resource Connection Line to help address social determinants of health, increase access to behavioral health services, and provide information to community members and patients.

The Network will utilize a system of care approach to increase care coordination across the network by establishing shared referral and care coordination processes, shared data for quality improvement and shared savings. This level of collaboration will produce sustainable processes that can be maintained beyond the project period. Project outcomes will improve patient access to high quality health care in the communities we serve and result in better outcomes for patient health, according to the release.