To honor an individual who has made an exceptional contribution to the health and well-being of mothers and children in Kentucky. Dr. Fraser was state MCH director from 1956 until her death in 1965.
Guidelines: Nominee must have made a unique and outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Kentucky maternal and child health – beyond standard requirements of employment or through voluntary work.
2024 Recipient: Starlene Stucker, RN
2022 Recipient: Jan Rogers
Maternal Child Health Coordinator
Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness
The 2022 award goes to someone who focuses on strategic goals and partnerships as well as public health modernization. She has had an enormous positive impact on expanding her departments strategic partnerships around maternal child health and Covid-19 response.
She restarted her organizations MCH collective impact group, the Healthy Babies Louisville (HBL) Coalition, after a one-year hiatus caused by the pandemic, adding over 40 new community partners, bringing the number of partner organizations up to an incredible 135.
She organized and hosted six subcommittees focused on addressing different aspects of MCH health disparities including an Outreach and Communication group, Fetal and Infant Review Board, and Postpartum Support taskforce. She worked with HBL Breastfeeding Task Force to develop and host breastfeeding workshops for Jefferson Co Public Schools Teenage Parent Program (TAPP) for school students, providing them with basic breastfeeding knowledge, self-advocacy skills and help with finding resources and services.
She organized the MCH Advisory Committee, renamed the Parent Empowerment Board, and onboarded 10 community parent participants to advise strategy and engagement for HBL, Title V MCH work, WIC and Healthy Start home visitation. She built a listserv of childcare providers with whom to share member organization events and educational materials and provides MCH education on local radio stations and through public service announcements.
No one was surprised when this person was accepted for the 2021-22 Region IV Public Health Leadership Institute (PHLI), a highly competitive program with 110 applications for just 28 spots.
2021 Recipient: Trina Miller, RN, BSN
Maternal Mortality Review Committee Nurse Consultant
Kentucky Department for Public Health
Described as diligent and passionate about improving health outcomes for pregnant women using data, in 2017, she began organizing and developing a system of review of maternal deaths to drive prevention efforts. Her work has involved data evaluation to identify maternal morbidities, organizing web-based training related to maternal health during pregnancy, researching educational opportunities to be shared in the community and working with the KY Perinatal Quality Collaborative on activities. Throughout the pandemic she has continued to organize virtual reviews, identify concerns and promote prevention efforts.
2020 Recipient: Leanne French, MS
Community Health Administrator
Louisville Metro Department of Public Health & Wellness
She is said to be truly gifted at bringing together people and organizations passionate about maternal and child health to create collective impact. She was instrumental in the development of Healthy Babies Louisville, a collaborative which has over 25 partner organizations, working to develop, adopt and improve policies and practices shown to improve equity in birth outcomes. Healthy Babies Louisville is working to reduce preterm birth, low birth weight and infant death.
She leads the LMPHW Early Childhood Root Cause Team, which provides technical assistance and resources to organizations such as Jefferson County Public Schools. She has a leadership role in the organization, representing not only LMPHW, but the health care sector, on Ready for Kindergarten Guiding Team.
Following an extensive process of listening to the community, conducting a Community Health Needs Assessment, and working with partners to create a Community Health Improvement Plan, LMPHW developed the Healthy Louisville 2025 plan. She has embraced the call of Public Health 3.0 to create partnerships for collective impact and has provided a model for how to create and maintain successful and productive partnerships across all sectors of the community. For all these reasons, Leanne French has shown her tireless dedication to the women and children in Kentucky.
We are excited to award Leanne French, Community Health Administrator in the Center for Health Equity at Louisville Metro Public Health & Wellness with the 2020 Helen B. Fraser Award.
Past Winners
2019: A. Scott Lockard
2018: Doraine F. Bailey
2017: Ruth Ann Shepherd, M.D.
2016: Fran Hawkins
2015: Shawna Thomerson
2014: Allison Adams
2013: Susan Brown
2012: Barbara Ruedel
2011: Cheryl Miller
2010: Priscilla Purciful
2009: Theresa Bushong
2008: Cris Sparks RN
2007: Sarah Wilding RN
2006: Sarojini Kanotra
2005: Eileen Deren RN
2004: Anita Black RN
2003: Jan Samuels RN
2002: Ann Meador
2001: Angela Woosley RN
2000: Steve Davis MD
1999: Arme Peltier MD
1998: Dwala S. Griffin RN
1997: Saundra Toussaint RN
1996: Deborah Stanley MD
1995: Norma Watson RN
1994: Peggy S. Kidd, MPH RD
1993: Robert Fritz
1992: Ted Hanekamp MPH
1991: Eunice Johnson MD
1990: Faye Hensley MS RN
1989: Ellen M. Buchart RN
1988: Mary F. Criswell RN
1987: Louise F.G. Hutchins MD
1986: Elizabeth Owen RN
1985: Clarence P. Marshall
1984: Betty J. Lyons RN
1983: Rosemary Morris
1982: Rhea Taylor
1981: Frances Goodman RN
1980: Doane Fischer MD
1979: Patricia K. Nicol MD MPH
1978: Billy F. Andrews MD
1977: Astra U. Kidd MD
1976: Margaret Suters RN
1975: Jacqueline Noonan MD
1974: Mildred Neff
1973: Jean Tachau