WQXE News

CASA of the Heartland ended 2024 with a nice gift.

As the beneficiary of Give270’s fourth quarter fundraiser, CASA of the Heartland received a $72,000 donation from the Elizabethtown-based nonprofit.

CASA of the Heartland Executive Director Michelle Kail says the donation was a nice way to wrap up 2024

“That means that we will be able to start 2025 off, definitely, on a good note, making sure that we are able to effectively serve more children, especially with the new territory that we have recently taken on,” Kail said.

On August 1 last year, the organization expanded to take over Breckinridge, Grayson, and Meade counties, which means more children are served but more resources are needed.

“In 2023, we started serving LaRue County around that same time, and we served 182 children in 2023, and we were able to serve 264 children in 2024, so definitely we’ll see an increase in the services that we are providing and hopefully be able to recruit some additional volunteers,” Kail said.

CASA volunteers serve as court-appointed special advocates for children navigating foster care and family court. Kail says if you have ever considered volunteering, reach out and learn more.

“Just take a little time to learn about what exactly it entails,” Kail said. “I know a lot of people think that they don’t have the time, but once the training is completed, being a CASA volunteer is not as time-demanding as some might think, so I just encourage people to definitely explore the opportunity.”

Visit casaheartland.org for more information.

The Kentucky Office of Medical Cannabis launched the portal for patient medical cannabis card applications on January 1. 

Kentuckians, however, have been able to meet with authorized practitioners such as Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Marlena O’Neil with Heartland Medical Cannabis Health and Wellness since December 1.

“The medical certifications, we were able to start those at that time, and so we have been seeing patients since the beginning of December to qualify their medical conditions and provide education and make sure that they were safe for medical certification,” O’Neil said.

O’Neil is one of 267 authorized registered practitioners located in 68 counties across the commonwealth. She says while studying alternative therapies during her doctorate studies she learned more about medical cannabis, and she wanted to be part of the transition as Kentucky’s medical cannabis program debuted.

“We know by reading about cases in other states that medical cannabis works for many, many conditions, and we’re in the epicenter of the opioid crisis and other problems, so it just made sense,” O’Neil said.

O’Neil says the authorized registered practitioners are tasked with determining if a patient has a qualifying medical condition for medical cannabis. A patient who has previously been diagnosed with one of the qualifying conditions can visit a practitioner’s office, but O’Neil says that visit is more than just looking at a diagnosis.

“We also just have to qualify that there’s no contraindications and we have to provide follow-up care if they want or need that,” O’Neil said. “We have to make sure we’re educating on side effects, potential drug-to-drug interactions. We have to advise them not to operate a motor vehicle, heavy equipment, or make important decisions while under the influence of medical cannabis, so there’s certain guidelines set up by the state that we have to make sure that we’re covering at that visit as well for their safety.”

O’Neil says she hopes to eventually  set up educational opportunities through her office that go beyond the diagnostic elements of the process. 

Visit kymedcan.ky.gov to learn more about the state’s medical cannabis program and find registered practitioners like O’Neil.