For his outstanding work and for exhibiting exemplary service to the hospitals of Kentucky and the patients they serve during the 2022 Kentucky General Assembly session, KHA presented its Legislative Hero award to Representative Killian Timoney during the KHA Annual Convention.

Representative Timoney sponsored House Bill 529, the Compassionate Patient Care Act, which passed both legislative chambers and was signed into law by Governor Beshear. This legislation establishes a 72-hour window during which physicians must review patient test results and formulate a plan for discussing the results in instances where the test could reveal a fatal diagnosis. The bill applies to fewer than 4% of all tests conducted, but the outcome of the new law is difficult to measure.

Health care providers will be able to deliver news of terminal diseases such as cancer in a more compassionate way, which will give patients comfort and the details they need to process such difficult news

This is a win for the patients Kentucky’s hospitals serve and ensures the care they receive is not just high in quality, but also in human compassion.