2024 Recipient: Kentucky Public Health AmeriCorps
Todd Rogers, Program Coordinator
The 2024 Industry Award recipient has served Kentucky communities daily to advance Public Health Transformation. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, Kentucky’s overall health and wellness declined, and workforce capacity was heavily impacted. Kentucky experienced a 51.43% decrease in staff at local health departments from 2008 to 2020, meaning vital programs were at risk of falling below pre-pandemic participation and outreach goals. To address this need, the Kentucky Health Department Association (KHDA) and the Kentucky Department for Public Health (KDPH) drafted workplans that targeted core public health programs, including WIC, H.A.N.D.S., and Harm Reduction services. Funding was secured to deploy 75 AmeriCorps members throughout the state and serve as community health workers with the goal of improving needed capacity and program support. Kentucky Public Health AmeriCorps program staff have been crucial to addressing poor health outcomes and advancing health equity. As a result of their service, AmeriCorps staff have contributed to the improvement of maternal and child nutritional needs, accessibility to parental support when building parent-child relationships and enhancing ongoing harm reduction programs.