Industry Award

Kentucky Emergency Management

In this current decade alone, on top of a worldwide pandemic, our state has experienced a devastating tornado outbreak in Western Kentucky in 2021; extreme flooding in Eastern Kentucky in 2022 and again this year; severe weather damage from the remnants of Hurricane Helene in 2024, and numerous other severe storms. Visible to us during disasters with their quick action to serve and protect impacted communities and provide up-to-date communications on the situation at hand, Kentucky Emergency Management works daily across our state to develop and test policies, plans, and procedures to mitigate, prepare for, respond to and recover from all-hazard disasters and emergencies to protect the lives, environment and property of the people of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Kentucky Emergency Management operates throughout our state, housing emergency managers in all 120 counties and providing regional management across all 10 regions. They stand ready to assist the public during times of emergencies and disasters but remind us all that preparedness starts at home…. “Be Aware, Be Prepared, Have a Plan!”

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.

Kentucky Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

The KY Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing has demonstrated health equity in action throughout the COVID19 pandemic through their participation in the Governor’s COVID19 press conferences, providing important, life-saving information to deaf and hard of hearing Kentuckians.

Gravity Diagnostics

Gravity Diagnostics is a state-of-the-art CLIA-Certified CAP-Accredited laboratory licensed in all 50 states providing innovative laboratory testing in the areas of COVID-19, Upper Respiratory, Toxicology, Pharmacogenomics, and Sexually Transmitted Infections. We are an advocate for physicians, patients, and our communities, supporting them with unsurpassed integrity, regulatory compliance, and clinical expertise. We currently service over 1,000 customers from small private practices to universities, to Fortune 500 companies.

Kentucky Chamber

They have been sponsoring several events to help employers understand substance use disorders and how to help them, their families and the business. They are involved with the KY Can Heal grant, the largest grant UK has ever been funded! Vocal in their support of bans on smoking and vaping products. They also work a lot with the Tourism department and help promote a lot of outdoor and family friendly activities too.

• 2019: Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky
• 2018: Kentucky Speedway
• 2017: Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy and Kentucky Agency for Substance Abuse Policy
• 2016: Humana Vitality
• 2015: CVS Health