Hazard Clinic Partners With Gazuntite to Expand Specialty Care

Mountain After Hours Clinic in Hazard announced a new partnership with Gazuntite on November 21, 2025 that is intended to expand access to specialty care for patients across Eastern Kentucky. The collaboration will let MAHC primary care providers connect with licensed specialists directly through the clinic electronic medical record, with many consults expected within 24 hours. Clinic leaders said the capability will help manage more complex cases locally and reduce the need for external referrals.

“The patients we serve deserve the same timely, coordinated access to specialists that urban patients enjoy. With Gazuntite, our clinicians can now collaborate with specialists in real time,” said Dr. Anthony Yonts, Head of MAHC. MAHC officials said the integration will begin with cardiology and endocrinology consults and will expand later in 2025 to include pulmonology, dermatology, neurology, and behavioral health.

The Gazuntite platform supports both asynchronous and synchronous consults within standard referral workflows, allowing primary care teams to obtain specialist guidance without sending patients hours away. MAHC estimates the model could reduce external referrals by up to 50 percent and cut specialist access times from weeks to hours. The arrangement is also expected to create new reimbursement opportunities for rural providers who take on more advanced care in the community.

Local impact is likely to be immediate for Perry County patients who face transportation and scheduling barriers to specialty appointments. By keeping more care at the clinic level, patients may avoid long drives to regional medical centers and receive treatment decisions faster after a primary evaluation. For families balancing work and caregiving responsibilities, shorter waits for specialist input can translate to fewer missed days and reduced out of pocket costs.

The partnership aligns with broader federal efforts to strengthen rural health systems. Kentucky is participating in the new Rural Health Transformation Program, a federal initiative that is allocating 50 billion dollars to bolster access and workforce capacity in rural communities nationwide. Gazuntite works with federally qualified health centers, rural health clinics, accountable care organizations, and rural health systems to expand access and accelerate adoption of value based care.

Mountain After Hours Clinic serves patients across Perry County and the surrounding Appalachian region with primary, urgent, and preventive care. Clinic leaders said the Gazuntite integration represents an investment in keeping high quality health services closer to home and improving outcomes for a population that has historically faced access challenges.