Origin

Central Emergency Physicians was founded in 1991 to provide emergency physician services at Central Baptist Hospital. Back then, the hospital was small with the emergency department seeing around 13,000 patients per year. Over the years, both CEP and the hospital, now called Baptist Health Lexington, have grown immensely. 

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​Growth

Baptist Health Lexington's footprint has expanded many times and the Emergency Department with it.  We were seeing close to 45,000 patients annually before COVID hit. No one in our group was laid off throughout COVID and in 2024 the ED's annual volume was around 50,000 and increasing. 

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Richmond Expansion

February 1, 2024, Central Emergency Physicians took over the Baptist Health Richmond Emergency Department with a current annual patient census of around 38,000. Using the Lexington ED model, we expanded physician coverage and created overlapping shifts. These practices help to avoid patient hand-offs, increase efficiency, and improve safety practices.

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Team

Central Emergency Physicians is now made up of about 40 physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners.

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Values

We are proud to be one of the only independent, democratic, fee-for-service Emergency Department group in Central Kentucky. We strive for excellence in efficient patient care and in our relationships with hospital medical staff and administration.

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Accreditation

We are proud to be an integral part of a hospital that, for years, has been ranked either 1st, 2nd or 3rd "Best Hospitals in Kentucky"by US News and World Report .