SUMMIT, Kentucky – When he felt chest pain a few summers ago, Eddie Smith went straight to the hospital near his northeastern Kentucky home. His father had died of a heart attack, and Smith had been previously diagnosed with a leaky heart valve. Smith's doctor told him that while there wasn't an immediate danger, the valve needed to be replaced.
However, a cardiologist at a hospital in Lexington – about 100 miles southwest of Summit – discovered that Smith had an aortic aneurysm and an electrical issue with his heart that required a pacemaker. "I had a whole lot more wrong than I even realized," he said. "I could have probably dropped dead at just about any time.
" Smith, now 73, had the motivation, the means and the opportunity to seek the best possible treatment. That's not the case for everyone in Kentucky, where census data show an estimated 16.5% of the population experiences poverty.
Nationwide, the average is 12.6%. Part of the Appalachia region, eastern Kentucky's mountainous geography and winding two-lane roads also make it difficult for residents to easily access health care.
A 20-mile drive to the nearest hospital or medical facility might take an hour. Smith said many people in his family have gone almost their entire lives without seeing a doctor. "It's just too much of a drive, too far away, too much of an inconvenience," he said.
"All of a sudden, they die of something that could have been taken care of." (VIDEO: In Kentucky's Appalachia region, disparitie.