South Central Kentucky

Following the outcry of racial injustice in our nation, local leaders have formed a group called, Gamechangers to help combat the issue.

As hardships include lack of doctors, facilities, geographical location and poverty, 13 News will investigate specific issues prevalent in these three counties for the next year as part of The Great Health Divide.

In nearly every Appalachian and Delta community, residents die on average before their 78th birthday, which is the average life expectancy in the United States. Health care providers are working on innovative ways to combat the unique disparities in the regions.

In 358 of the 662 counties in the Appalachian and Delta regions, adults had higher-than-average diabetes rates.

Cancer claims millions of lives in the U.S. each year. Access to treatment, preventative care and screenings is a unique hardship for some people in rural areas.

The Health Resources and Services Administration classifies geographic areas as medically underserved based on them having too few primary care doctors, a high infant mortality rate, high poverty or a high elderly population.