76th Annual KPHA Conference

Provide public health partners, service providers, and state and local agencies with an overview of the importance of cultural identity and competency and how this supports and promotes engagement when serving families from a wide variety of backgrounds.

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will consider what is meant by culture and how it impacts behavior.
2. Participants will learn about the connection between culture and behavior.
3. Participants will be introduced to skills to aid in minimizing the possibilities of cultural collisions occurring at cultural intersections.

Come to our session to learn more about our model to reduce barriers to perinatal and reproductive healthcare by enabling peer recovery coaches to empower people they serve who can get pregnant or are pregnant in active use or early recovery.

Learning Objectives:

1. List 3 intersections of recovery capital and reproductive/perinatal health.
2. Describe two motivational interviewing techniques to reduce ambiguity and link people to reproductive/perinatal healthcare.
3. Understand 3 components of our PeRCHH model to reduce harm and improve maternal/child health in Kentucky.

Building on efforts to reduce health inequities in Louisville, financial stability and economic mobility represent an important area for intervention. A domain of financial stress that remains unexamined is the impact of engagement with traditional banking institutions, especially among groups that are struggling against economic marginalization. This study explored social processes that explain what role traditional banking institutions have in shaping the relationship between financial stress and wellbeing. Utilizing thematic development, socio-cultural themes such as self-stigma, and personal responsibility began to emerge. These themes were influenced negative participant experiences related to financial stability, and engagement or disengagement with traditional banking.

Learning Objectives:

1. Audience Members will be able to identify the ways in which institutional discrimination and predatory banking practices negatively impact the mental health of Black Louisvillians.
2. Audience members will be able to appraise how self-stigma is derived from public stigma, leading to adverse health outcomes via the "Health Stigma and Discrimination Framework."

Public Health and Cooperative Extension agencies are both trusted organizations in our communities. There are many opportunities for collaboration to better meet the needs of our community, as well as build capacity within our workforce.

Learning Objectives:

1. Explore spaces where extension and public health can collaborate.
2. Discuss current training efforts, evaluation, and opportunities for improvement.

Using Network Analysis to MAPP Community Partnership show participants how to identify, and leaders, how to build, strength in partnerships.

Learning Objectives:

1. Discuss the importance of community partnerships.
2. Identify strength in a partnership group.
3. Understand the role of leaders in partnerships.

Registered Nurses (RNs) are consistently considered one of the most trusted professions. RNs spend much time at the hospital bedside, medical office, public health department, schools, and home health caring for, treating and teaching patients and the community. In recent years, vaccine hesitancy has been noticed in the nursing population possibly due to inaccurate media information, the Covid pandemic and not enough focus on immunization education in schools of nursing/contact hours. This may contribute to the overall decrease in immunization rates if those most closely trusted and involved with the patients/community are fearful of or decline immunizations. It is important to work with RNs to understand their hesitancy and provide quality information and education to influence this group of trusted professionals.

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will learn the history of vaccine in decreasing mortality and morbidity in our population.
2. Participants will understand the need to improve immunization rates and roles of nurses in this endeavor.
3. Participants will brainstorm regarding fear of immunizations and how increasing immunization education among nurses can support this issue.

Access and affordability are drivers of food insecurity. By identifying diverse, low-income urban neighborhoods in their community, the North Central District Health Department was able partner with area farmers, businesses and organizations to provide farmers’ markets in three underserved neighborhoods bringing access to fresh fruits and vegetables. Funding was secured to help make the markets more affordable for those in need, and a multilingual, boots-on-the-ground approach to advertising made sure the targeted populations were reached. A culmination of community and staff collaboration, this inclusive and educational outreach effort addressed social determinants of health for the underserved.

Learning Objectives:

1. Attendees will learn the impact that trusted voices can have on community participation in public health initiatives.
2. Attendees will learn the importance of using multiple forms of inclusive outreach to appeal to both the broad population and targeted communities.
3. Attendees will be able to recognize and get excited about the role that public health professionals can have on community health initiatives.

The North Central District Health Department was awarded funds from the Environmental Public Health Tracking Network to develop a community outreach and education program to prevent heat related illness and mitigate the health impacts of extreme heat events. The Public Information Officer developed educational materials that were distributed at all four local health departments in North Central District and by our Community Education Team. Five community partners were engaged to serve as daytime cooling centers during extreme heat events. Desktop air cooling units were purchased with the funds and distributed to underserved neighborhoods in the community.

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe the various types of heat related illness and their associated risk factors.
2. Define an extreme heat event and the agencies who alert the public to these events.
3. Describe the activities that could mitigate the health impacts of an extreme heat event and reduce the number of heat related illnesses in a community.

While community health worker (CHW) programs have existed in Kentucky for decades, recent years have seen the introduction of a certification process for CHWs and an expansion of the profession throughout the state. CHWs play a unique role in the health of their clients and communities. However, research shows that their success is tied to their successful integration into the health promotion programs that employ them. This presentation will provide examples of successful CHW programs in Kentucky, and will offer recommendations for supporting and integrating CHWs to promote program success.

Learning Objectives:

1. Define community health worker (CHW) integration.
2. Describe the benefits of CHW integration to health promotion programs.
3. Identify key program elements to promote CHW integration.

In response to the ongoing global mpox virus outbreak since spring 2022, Kentucky initiated a coordinated effort involving public health authorities, healthcare professionals, and community organizations. The presentation examines Kentucky's current mpox case and vaccination data, focusing on a proactive initiative to increase vaccine uptake through gift card incentives for JYNNEOS recipients. As of October 2023, Kentucky had 110 mpox cases and administered 7,610 doses of the JYNNEOS vaccine. The presentation emphasizes collaboration for targeted interventions to address coverage gaps and enhance prevention efforts.

Learning Objectives:

1. Summarize current state of mpox in Kentucky, including its prevalence, transmission patterns, and key risk factors.
2. Evaluate demographic breakdown of JYNNEOS recipients and interpret disparities in immunization efforts.
3. Gain a deeper understanding of vaccination initiatives for mpox in Kentucky.

The (2022-2023) Community Health Assessment (CHA) conducted among community members in Marshall County, Kentucky identified access to healthcare and mental health as two of the top health issues in the county. Barriers to healthcare such as cost, lack of specialty providers, lack of information, and lack of convenient appointment times were mentioned in the community survey. This session will discuss inequities in healthcare access in rural Western Kentucky.

Learning Objectives:

1. Discuss inequities in health care access in rural Western Kentucky.
2. Identify barriers to accessing healthcare, especially mental health.
3. Formulate policies to address inequities and eliminate barriers to health care access.

Opioid use disorder (OUD) remains a consistent public health crisis and epidemic. Agencies and organizations tasked with monitoring and improving the health of the population need timely state and local data to make critical decisions on resource allocation and targeted responses. With funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), researchers at the University of Kentucky are developing a novel data system, Rapid Actionable Data for Opioid Response in Kentucky (RADOR-KY). RADOR-KY is an integrated, population-based, near-real time statewide surveillance system that will ingest data from multiple state agencies and implement advanced informatic algorithms for fast data processing, data linkage, machine learning and predictive analytics to shorten the time between data capture and when analytic results are available to support opioid overdose prevention and control. RADOR-KY will include KY data sources such as Emergency Medical Services (EMS) records, prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) records, syndromic surveillance, death certificate records, inpatient hospital charge records and emergency department visit records, and drug seizure data.

The development of RADOR-KY is being guided by a user-end advisory group, consisting of state agencies and local stakeholders. Interviews are being conducted with leadership and technical personnel from state agencies to assess what they use to inform opioid use disorder efforts and any gaps or needs related to data. Findings from these interviews are being incorporated into the development of the RADOR-KY data system. RADOR-KY will have mobile and web-based applications to provide immediate dissemination and access to near-real time community and state level data, reports, and visual analytics to share with agencies and community-end users.

Learning Objectives:

1. Attendees of this session will be able to describe what data sources will be included in the RADOR-KY data system.
2. Attendees will be able to identify practical applications of the RADOR-KY system related to the work they are conducting on the frontlines.

The Kentucky Office of Rural Health, Kentucky Board of Emergency Medical Services, and Center of Excellence in Rural Health developed and distributed a paramedic certification interest survey. The survey gauged interest in paramedic training and assessed barriers. An employer survey was also conducted to identify paramedics on staff and their starting pay and benefits. Questions were also asked about flexibility in scheduling, tuition assistance for staff interested in the paramedic certificate, and whether they paid for recertification hours. Results from the surveys and the steps being taken to address the paramedic workforce shortage in the Commonwealth will be shared.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand and describe the paramedic workforce shortage and its impact on health outcomes in the Commonwealth.
2. Recognize their role in educating others on the need for paramedics and their role in our healthcare system.
3. Describe the barriers for those interested in the paramedic certificate and what we can do to address these.

In 1994, a federal working group began developing what became the 10 Essential Public Health Services (EPHS) for health departments and community partners to use as a framework for public health. Thirty years later, how’s it going? Is it time to re-think the foundations of public health? This session will describe the impact of the EPHS on population health and offer concepts for a new framework for public health. The session will forecast the potential health impacts of a new framework over the next thirty years and beyond. This session is “out of the box” thinking on a grand scale.

Learning Objectives:

1. Attendees will understand the 10 Essential Public Health Services and their impact on population health.
2. Attendees will learn concepts for a new framework for public health and its potential impact on population health.
3. Attendees will learn to view the foundations of public health in a way that connects services and programs to the framework.

Behavioral health (BH) crises continue to increase in Kentucky. Alternative response models (ARMs), e.g. the Commonwealth Model, expand responder call deflection from law enforcement and emergency departments to BH professionals. These response models involve complex and cooperative multi-organizational efforts, and effectively implementing ARMs statewide necessitates a complexity science approach. Participatory systems science methods offer particular utility for managing the complexity of implementing ARMs. This presentation will discuss the unique benefits of systems science application to ARMs implementation, including increased ability to account for barriers and facilitators, opportunities for equitable community engagement, and stakeholder motivation to enact systems-level change.

Learning Objectives:

1. Define the Commonwealth Model, an alternative response model launched in Kentucky to address behavioral health crises.
2. Understand complexity science approaches, including systems science applications to implementation science frameworks.
3. Summarize the benefits of applying systems science to implementation strategies for large-scale interventions such as the Commonwealth Model.

Many residents of rural Harlan, Kentucky struggle with food insecurities. Kentucky Homeplace, a long-standing Community Health Worker program, partnered with Appalachian Regional Healthcare and a local fresh food market to create a voucher process to address food inequities. Through this process, the Community Health Worker was able to identify and address many additional needs.

Learning Objectives:

1. Learn how to replicate the program in similar situations.
2. Understand the importance of non-profit organizations working in underserved areas partnering to alleviate inequities.
3. Realize the effectiveness of a community health worker in identifying and addressing a multitude of health issues and social determinants of health given access to underserved clients.

Learn about the effectiveness of campus-community partnerships in promoting HIV/STD awareness among college students at Western Kentucky University while exploring barriers to accessing and utilizing these resources. By examining the complexities of offering sexual health education, this study seeks to propose adoptive strategies for educators on Western Kentucky University’s campus. Additionally, this research study explores students’ perceptions and utilization of on-campus and off-campus community resources for HIV/STD information and resources

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify effective strategies for increasing college student awareness of how to prevent HIV/STD transmission.
2. Describe college student perceptions of/intent to use HIV/STD resources to modify sexual health behaviors.

This session will describe how Boot Camp Translation (BCT), a community-engaged research methodology, was used to create a health communication campaign to promote the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline to African American Kentuckians.

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe the background and purpose of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
2. Explain how the BCT methodology can be used to develop health communication campaigns tailored to specific populations.

For well over a decade, Kentucky health departments have achieved and maintained PHAB accreditation. Three health departments, Franklin County, Northern Kentucky District, and Three Rivers District were among the first cohort in the country to receive accreditation and will be embarking on a second cycle of reaccreditation. This session will include a panel of presenters from PHAB and these health department Accreditation Coordinators to discuss their respective accreditation journey, successes and lessons learned.

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will be able to learn how health departments have varying approaches to successfully maintain accreditation.
2. Participants will understand how accreditation bolstered efforts related to equity, performance improvement, and public health transformation.

The Kentucky Department for Public Health Viral Hepatitis Program engaged in an in-depth process over the course of more than a year to learn about, strategize, develop, and implement an initiative to increase the capacity of state prisons to treat hepatitis C, a curable infectious disease, that is often left untreated due to limited resources. This collaboration serves to not only advance hepatitis C care for incarcerated individuals, it solidifies a vital public health collaboration which will continue to improve the health of communities throughout the Commonwealth.

Learning Objectives:

1. Discuss about the impact of hepatitis C (HCV) on individuals in carceral settings.
2. Learn about an initiative being implemented in Kentucky to advance positive health outcomes for incarcerated individuals.
3. Describe how KDPH Viral Hepatitis Program has engaged with Kentucky Department of Corrections to improve capacity for HCV care and to strengthen a vital connection between the two partners.

Employment Law for Dummies — common legal pitfalls for employers explained at a most basic level, but with that Health Department no-nonsense-quick-to-the-point flair. (Okay, there will be some nonsense, but that's characteristic of employment scenarios in Health Departments!)

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand Discrimination and Harassment laws as they apply to employees.
2. Understand First Amendment and Social Media issues related to employees.
3. Understand and be able to execute employee discipline under the Health Department Regulations.

This presentation will highlight results from the 2022 KY Behavior Risk Factor Survey (BRFS) about the prevalence of eating disorders (ED) among KY adults. The presentation will also detail the association between EDs and chronic disease comorbidities as well as racial and socioeconomic disparities.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the population distribution and health burden of eating disorders.
2. Summarize data-driven approaches to measuring eating disorders.

A Legionella outbreak was identified in a recreational water source over the 4th of July weekend in Lexington. Learn how a great relationship and strong communication between LFCHD epidemiology and environmental health helped to identify and interview cases, collect water samples, and get a confirmatory result of L. pneumophilia.

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe the multi-discipline complexity of a local recreational water source Legionella outbreak.
2. Explain how critical communication between local and state agencies is essential throughout the entire process of a Legionella outbreak.

Visualizations make data more accessible and readily understandable to a variety of audiences and helps inform actionable decisions in our communities. This session will allow participants to explore how data can be used to create their own stories in their respective community by using data visualization as a tool to communicate effectively.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify the use of visualizations and their importance in communicating with Kentucky Residents.
2. Develop an understanding of using visualizations to improve decision-making and protecting Public Health.

Market your messaging with media! We want to share with you ideas to promote public health that will work in your local area. Join us for to see examples we have used for Maternal Child Health outreach that can work for any program!

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify three media outlets proven to be effective tools for educational outreach.
2. Understand the pros and cons of different media outlets.
3. Describe ways media can be used for their specific public health messaging needs.

As part of the Kentucky Department for Public Health’s (KDPH) statewide effort to end the HIV epidemic, KDPH partnered with CAI’s Technical Assistance Provider-innovation network (TAP-in) and the Kentucky Primary Care Association (KPCA) to implement routine opt-out HIV testing and linkage to care (ROOT) at Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). Grace Health, a rural, faith-based FQHC, was the pilot site for this initiative. Within the first six months of implementation, Grace Health screened 48.1% of unscreened patients, 15-65, surpassing their goal of 10%. TAP-in, KDPH, and KPCA are now supporting the implementation of ROOT at an additional four FQHCs.

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe how a population level intervention to routinize opt-out HIV screening and linkage to care at FQHCs can help End the HIV Epidemic (EHE).
2. Discuss challenges and solutions to routinizing HIV screening and linkage to care in primary care settings.
3. Describe population health impact of implementing routine opt-out HIV screening and linkage to care in primary care settings.

Unlock the secrets to attract, retain, and receive the personal best from your team. Healthy workplaces bring happiness and fulfillment that spill over into our broader lives. They aren’t devoid of troubled times. Instead, the volume of positive experiences dominates. Although this sounds simple, it isn’t because biology is working against you. Your human prewiring causes you to fixate on adverse events. As a result, balancing one unfriendly exchange requires three to five affirming interactions. Master this relationship math with the give, grow, glow approach and forge a soul-filling workplace your people love.

Learning Objectives:

1. Activate your team by meeting their individual and collective need for meaning and purpose at work.
2. Amplify experiences of trust and belonging to increase psychological safety and innovation.
3. Turn appreciation into rocket fuel to catapult you through the toughest challenges.

Kentucky DPH will provide an overview of three pivotal pieces of a full outbreak investigation, from legionellosis case interview and epidemiologic investigation (RDS), Legionella environmental assessment, environmental sampling, review of water management plan, and remediation (DPHPS), and laboratory environmental testing (DLS). Target audience includes local health department epidemiologists, environmentalists, and nurses.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the importance of a thorough case interview and the roles of DPH and local health departments (LHDs) in outbreak investigations.
2. Recognize the value of sample collection methods as it relates to clinical findings to aid and improve environmental test results.
3. Define the roles and responsibilities of LHD/DPH environmental staff for Legionella response in LHD regulated and non-regulated facilities.

The University of Kentucky Center of Excellence in Rural Health (UK CERH), Kentucky Homeplace (KHP) Community Health Worker (CHW) program, USA Drone Port, and a network of community partners collaborated to host Appalachian Community Health Days (ACHD) events. These events aimed to increase community outreach in remote communities, remove barriers to vaccine access, assess individuals' health or social needs, provide education, and increase positive messaging around vaccination. A community or individuals were allowed to ask questions, express concerns, receive information in their local community, and then decide if vaccination is right for them.

Learning Objectives:

1. Discuss the value of taking services to small rural communities.
2. Identify a variety of effective recruitment efforts in rural communities.
3. Identify ways of removing barriers and reducing vaccine hesitancy in rural communities.

There’s no place like home! In our hometown of Oldham County, KY we conducted an environmental scan to determine alcohol, tobacco, and vape shop density. This presentation will examine access to these substances, their placement in relation to based on social vulnerability indices, and the density’s impact on youth and adult use rates. We will discuss areas of possible policy advocacy to mitigate the risk associated with high alcohol and tobacco outlet density and advertising in local communities, as well as implications for areas of policy advocacy related to medical marijuana in Kentucky counties. They’ll get you, my pretties, with their little vapes, too!

Learning Objectives:

By the end of the session, the participant will be able to identify the knowledge and perceptions around environmental factors that contribute to lung cancer in Laurel County, Kentucky. The findings of the study will equip the participant to become an advocate for health equity.

Brandon Saho, former Sports Anchor/Reporter will share about his life experience with depression and suicidal ideation and how it changed his career path and how the Mental Game Podcast came to be. WellCare will talk about partnership efforts to address mental health awareness in the Northern Kentucky region, and how others can benefit from the Community Impact Council process.

Learning Objectives:

1. Attendees will learn how to and feel empowered to create suicide prevention events within their communities.
2. Attendees will gain perspective on how one person, through sharing his own life experience, has taken on the fight against breaking stigma associated with mental health.

Come away with us on a visual journey, where every snapshot tells a tale! Our PhotoVoice project explores community perspectives on behavioral health. Through powerful images, hear and see the stories shaping local public health responses to behavioral health, where pictures speak louder than words and everyone is a part of the narrative.

Learning Objectives:

1. Discuss how PhotoVoice supports community engagement in CHA/CHIP work around stigmatized public health issues, like behavioral health.
2. Assess how the PhotoVoice method enhances mixed-methods data collection (quantitative and qualitative) for the CHA/CHIP process and documentation for accreditation.

Health Access Nurturing Development Services (HANDS) used federal funds to support local agencies in creating and distributing go-bags to families as part of emergency preparedness education, ultimately reaching nearly 4,000 families and 400 home visitors statewide. The lessons learned from this initiative can benefit other programs addressing unmet needs in their community.

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe the process of facilitating the creation of go-bags and crisis response kits.
2. Describe the outcomes of this initiative.
3. Apply lessons learned from evaluation to improve the process in the future.

The session will be a general overview of immunization equity and access priority issues as well as resources that will be helpful to our partners and providers across the Commonwealth.

Learning Objectives:

1. Attendees will be able to identify equity and access issues related to vaccinations.
2. Attendees will be able to discuss resources that are available to promote vaccine uptake.

WellCare Health Plans and Need More Acres Farm began partnering in 2014, working to increase fresh, local food access for all income levels. This partnership has grown to also include additional partners and programs including Bowling Green Independent Schools. Come ready to learn about how partnerships and programs make food accessible as medicine!

Learning Objectives:

1. Audience will learn about the Community Connections model designed to remove barriers to healthcare through a database used to connect high risk populations to needed social service related resources.
2. Audience will learn about the health and financial impact of programs and partnerships with social service agencies for the community.
3. Audience will learn about Need More Acres Farm, Bowling Green Independent Schools, and the fresh food programs being offered, and why community based organizations are important partners in improving health outcomes.

On the night of July 27, 2022, devasting flooding resulted in lost lives, injuries, property damage and many impassable roadways. The vast impact of the flooding left individuals, agencies and communities struggling to figure out how to reach those impacted and provide the enormous amount of services needed. Community partners serving many impacted counties collaborated to design and conduct an assessment to better understand the needs of individuals residing in remote sections within the communities. The assessment, conducted three months after the flood, collected information regarding the flooding's impact on housing, physical and behavioral health, transportation, work, and finances.

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe the importance of inter-professional collaboration in public health and healthcare in all phases of a disaster.
2. Recognize the role of different agencies in creating, executing, referring for services, and analyzing a needs assessment.
3. Create a list of agency partners from their local communities that would be beneficial to have at the table in times of crisis.

The KDPH will be hosting the KDPH Nurse's Breakfast in Steamboat Room of the Louisville Marriot East during the 76th Annual KPHA Conference from 7:00 a.m.-8:00 a.m. on March 8, 2024. Angela Kik BSN, CEN, EMT, Emergency Operations and Logistics Section Supervisor, Kentucky Department for Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Branch and a member of the Association of Public Health Nurses (APHN) Emergency Preparedness and Response Committee will present an interactive presentation on the APHN Emergency Preparedness and Response Interim Statement (2023) white paper, the new cross walk between PHEP capabilities and tasks and the competencies most applicable to emergency preparedness and response. A short Q&A session will be held at the end of the presentation with LHD Nurse Leaders, the KDPH Director of Nursing and the Deputy Commissioner of Medical Affairs.

All conference attendees must register via TRAIN for the KDPH Nurses Breakfast, KPHA Conference March 8, 2024, 1116144, Louisville module found at https://www.train.org/ky/course/1116144. Upon completion of the evaluation, 1.2 nursing CEs will be awarded.

Review procedures and methods to improve the hiring process. Details of the application and interview process will be discussed to help leaders choose high-performing candidates that maintain or improve the agency culture. Topics will include interview questions that can provide insightful information on the candidate, qualities to look for, and the reasoning behind the methodology.

Learning Objectives:

1. Explain key aspects that leaders should look for in applications to provide more insight about candidates when choosing to interview.
2. Discuss abstract questions that can be asked during the interview process to help leaders choose quality candidates that emphasizes more than skill sets and education.
3. Review the importance of focusing on a candidates attitude, values, and personality during the interview process and how these elements can impact company culture, retention, and employee satisfaction.
4. Proper/Effective interviewing techniques.

The current global outbreak of mpox is primarily a result of sexual transmission of the virus. However, mpox virus can be spread through any close contact, and healthcare associated transmission from an infected healthcare provider to patients is a potential risk. This presentation will describe a large-scale mpox exposure event in a healthcare setting, and the subsequent investigation and management.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify the signs, symptoms, and transmission modes associated with mpox, with particular attention to its spread within congregate settings.
2. Learn how to implement infection control practices to mitigate the transmission of mpox within healthcare environments.
3. Describe the role of an interprofessional healthcare team in identifying and responding to a challenging healthcare associated mpox exposure.

Do you dream about being a part of a robust, diverse, skilled, and well-supported public health workforce? The Kentucky Department for Public Health’s (KDPH) Center for Foundational Health (C4FH) is working to make your dreams a reality. Learn about the C4FH’s work to recruit, train and retain a competent and diverse response-ready public health workforce through the development of pipeline programs that engage high school students, post-secondary students and practicing public health professionals.

Learning Objectives:

1. Upon completion of the session, participants will be able to discuss ways to strengthen the public health workforce within their own organization.
2. Upon completion of the session, participants will be able to identify opportunities to apply workforce development initiatives within their own organization.

This session will discuss a pilot radon detector kit library lending program taking place in 4 rural counties of Kentucky to increase access to home radon testing and mitigation as a means of lung cancer prevention.

Learning Objectives:

1. The learner will give examples of challenges rural communities face in accessing home radon testing and mitigation.
2. The learner will describe how partnerships with public libraries can be utilized to support public health initiatives in rural communities.
3. The learner will modify the radon detector kit library lending program to reduce barriers and increase access to radon testing equipment in order to meet the radon testing needs of their community.

Do you know what a Protective Factor is? Did you know that every young person thrives when communities support them in gaining Protective Factors? Come learn how Kentucky is adapting the national Youth Thrive Framework to help young people ages 9-26 take charge & maximize their wellbeing in the face of adversity. Join us as we discuss the Youth Thrive Guiding Premises, Protective Factors, Youth Café events and how to partner to change the lives of youth in our state.

Learning Objectives:

1. Learn about Youth Thrive.
2. Learn about Youth Cafés.
3. Discuss opportunities to bring Youth Thrive to your community.

Equitable access to healthcare is foundational to public health service provision and community program implementation. Ensuring adequate communication requirements are implemented will ensure health literacy for all populations in your community. Specifically, we have found that for deaf, hard of hearing or deaf-blind individuals, navigating public services and receiving adequate, quality care has its hindrances toward long-term quality care.

In 2020, WellCare of Kentucky facilitated an evidence-based community organizing model to bring a group of community-based organizations and concerned citizens together to address gaps in care, as we look at ways to support the deaf and hard of hearing community. Collectively and collaboratively, the Council with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing was formed to address social drivers (or social determinants of health) that are impacting long-term health outcomes for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing population. The Council’s has set out to provide evidence-based, community driven solutions around two main goals: 1) Sharing best practices with medical providers to ensure equal access to quality care in providing services to deaf and hard of hearing patients; and, 2) Implementing community advocacy, health education and self-advocacy trainings for deaf and hard of hearing individuals regarding their care.

Join representatives from this WellCare of Kentucky facilitated Community Impact Council with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing to discuss the group's goals; learn best practices from those with lived experience; understand Kentucky resources to assist deaf and hard of hearing individuals; and leave with concrete steps on what it truly means to be Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant when serving this population. Attendees will gain understanding of how the Community Impact Council with the Deaf and Hard of hearing was created and how this community group of twenty-some agencies is succeeding. Attendees will also hear lived experience stories on why personal healthy literacy is important for all. Attendees will learn concrete ways to ensure compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) when serving the deaf and hard of hearing population. And, lastly, attendees will be leave with resources on how to implement effective communication provisions for reaching and working alongside the deaf and hard of hearing to ensure good quality health outcomes.

Learning Objectives:

1. Attendees will gain understanding of how the Community Impact Council with the Deaf and Hard of hearing was created through an evidence-based community engagement model and hear lived experience stories on why personal healthy literacy is important for all.
2. Attendees will learn concrete ways to ensure compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) when serving the deaf and hard of hearing population.
3. Attendees will be leave with resources on how to implement effective communication provisions for reaching and working alongside the deaf and hard of hearing.

Interested in what others may have learned while building a harm reduction program? Learn how to build upon local community partnerships to connect with Harm Reduction programs.

Learning Objectives:

1. How to integrate Harm Reduction in the Justice System.
2. How to build relationships or adapt to current situations throughout the community.
3. The effectiveness SMART Recovery can have when using Harm Reduction Service in the Public Health setting.

The Medical Explorers Academy (MEA) is a collaborative program with EKU College of Health Sciences, Madison County Public Schools, and Baptist Health Richmond. MEA is designed to provide high school students within their junior and senior years with experiential learning opportunities about public health, nursing, healthcare, and medical careers as they develop the skill sets required to be successful practitioners.

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will leave with knowledge on how to engage community partnerships to establish collaborative programs to benefit specific populations.
2. Participants will leave with knowledge on student facing barriers within high school and college, and how to address and support students collaboratively.

When inspirational memes are not enough, learn how one rural local health department implemented a digital mental health platform to address community needs.

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe at least three CredibleMind digital platform benefits for users.
2. Identify at least three ways local health departments must prepare for implementation of CredibleMind.
3. Identify at least three potential challenges to engagement with CredibleMind and possible mitigating actions local health departments can take.

This presentation will cover the updates to coding SDoH per the FY24 Coding Guidelines and address the importance of capturing these Z-codes.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the importance of SDoHs.
2. Discuss coding updates for FY24 regarding SDoH.

Using concepts of Photovoice, researchers interviewed health and human services professionals to find common sources of burnout and supports for wellbeing. The researchers then linked the community professionals and current health and human services students at an engagement event to facilitate discussions on burnout and wellbeing.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify common factors related to burnout in health and human services professions
2. Identify common supports for wellbeing in health and human services professions