To honor a designated group or organization that has collectively contributed to public health program development, toward enhancement of public health in the Commonwealth.
Guidelines: Efforts must be well-described and include evidence of continued health contributions.
2024 Recipient: Kentucky Department for Public Health Center for Foundational Health (C4FH)
The Kentucky Department for Public Health’s (KDPH) Center for Foundational Health (C4FH) has significantly contributed to the development and implementation of successful workforce development initiatives and programs to sustain a response-ready public health workforce for Kentucky.
Since establishment in January 2022, the C4FH has been dedicated to developing pathways to a public health career for high school and university students, as well as supporting the development of the current workforce. Their work aligns with the KDPH Strategic Plan People Priority to support goals to attract and retain a competent and diverse workforce and to cultivate a positive work environment. C4FH serves as the leaders responsible for managing, evaluating, and reporting on workforce deliverables for CDC’s Public Health Infrastructure Grant and has been nationally featured by CDC for their outstanding efforts.
Some achievements include:
- Secured $34,485,177 for Strategy A1 Workforce through CDC’s Public Health Infrastructure Grant (PHIG) including 78 defined workforce deliverables; funding will support workforce development initiatives through November 2027.
- Formed KDPH’s Public Health Workforce Development and Infrastructure Advisory Committee and the Workforce Readiness Subcommittee with representation from KDPH, Cabinet for Health and Family Services Office of Human Resource Management, the Kentucky Health Department Association (KHDA) and Kentucky universities to develop, implement, and evaluate the numerous activities and policies to reinforce and expand the public health workforce.
- Established academic partnerships, agreements, and programs with 8 universities including Eastern Kentucky University (EKU), Kentucky State University (KSU), Murray State University (MSU), Northern Kentucky University (NKU), Simmons College of Kentucky, University of Kentucky (UK), University of Louisville (UofL) and Western Kentucky University (WKU). The Council on Linkages now recognizes KDPH as an Academic Health Department.
- Provided public health career information to over 2,000 high school students at 14 events in Kentucky and 1 national conference in collaboration with Kentucky’s Area Health Education Centers, HOSA Future Health Professionals, Kentucky Department of Education, Rogers Scholars, UK and UofL through the Kentucky Public Health Exploration Program.
- Increased the number of student interns at KDPH from 6 in Spring 2022 to 41 in Spring 2024 through the Student Internship Program.
- Provided opportunities for KDPH staff to complete training, earn certifications and receive tuition assistance through Kentucky Universities, the Region IV Public Health Training Center and Coursera online learning platform through the Employee Development and Learning Program.
- Established a LHD Workforce Training Program with KHDA to support tuition assistance programs, student internship programs, professional development training, and mentorships for Local Health Department personnel.
This small, but mighty team of the C4FH includes Jim House, Karen Lencki, Lindsey Brewer, Deena Bell, Madison Yerges, Ashley Carroll, and Kristin King.
2023 Recipient: KHDA Academy of Science
2022 Recipient: Louisville Essential Needs Program
The COVID-19 pandemic revealed the bare truth of health and income disparities, whereas we saw disproportionate cases of COVID-19 among our low-income neighborhoods, our Black and Brown neighbors, and those in the worse positions to be ill.” The recipient of the 2022 KPHA Group Award worked diligently with numerous community partners to address the needs of the city’s most vulnerable populations. Over the course of their response, this group worked to secure resources such as housing, food, cleaning supplies, prescriptions, infant supplies, opioid Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT), and personal protective equipment (PPE).
Not only did this group secure resources, but they worked to create a more equitable response for their community. The organization was able to connect with populations who were most vulnerable to social isolation and severe COVID-19 illness. Minority populations, those experiencing houselessness, and neighborhoods disproportionately impacted by higher rates of unemployment and median household incomes below the national average were just a few of the populations this group worked to reach with their response efforts.
As of February 2022, this organization has received 21,655 requests for community support from residents and community members of surrounding areas, successfully fulfilling 6,072 food requests, 5,238 durable goods requests, 1,116 isolation housing requests, 548 prescription requests and 68 MAT requests. Needs of those with differing linguistic and cultural needs led to the assistance of another 859 unique households.
As a result of this group’s dedication to community service, other programs have initiated services to sustain the services that were offered through the pandemic.
2021 Recipient: Kentucky Department for Public Health Division of Laboratory Services
This year’s KPHA Group Award goes to a group of public health professionals that have contributed to the enhancement of public health in Kentucky to keep our populace healthy and free of disease and unhealthy environmental exposures: THE KDPH DIVISION OF LABORATORY SERVICES!
In the Summer of 2020, the team of individuals at DLS initiated a project to develop a platform to sequence SARS-CoV-2 specimens. Working tirelessly, they reached this milestone in a short amount of time, leading the efforts in our state for the sequencing and bioinformatics for SARS-CoV-2. Additionally, the lab now has a bioinformatics initiative as a complement to Next Generation Sequencing technology. The development of the Nextstrain visualization platform aids the real-time tracking and monitoring of SARS-C0V-2 in our state. With this progress, DLS is capable of advanced molecular detection of COVID19 through pathogen surveillance. Kentucky has now entered the modern era where contact tracing and outbreak investigations can be enhanced with Next Generation Sequencing technology to unveil the Genomic Epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2.
The Kentucky State lab is the only lab in the state to possess the capability to carry out this kind of phylodynamic analysis, and among the few states in the U.S. that possess this capability. They serve as a model for many other states who are currently working developing this capacity.
Congratulations to the KDPH Division of Laboratory Services! KPHA commends you for your tireless efforts to achieve advanced surveillance capabilities to guide our fight against COVID19 as we all work together to protect, promote and prevent.
2020 Recipient: Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky, WellCare Health Plans, & the Kentucky Hospital Association
Donna Meador, Nurse Consultant, Kentucky Hospital Association
Carla Donnell, Director of Patient Safety & Quality/Health Professions, Kentucky Hospital Association
Jill Seyfred, Executive Director, Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky
Bill Jones, Executive Regional Senior Vice President, WellCare of Kentucky
In 2019, three organizations came together to fund, create, and distribute a great video on two very important subjects: Safe Sleep Practices and Pediatric Abusive Head Trauma Prevention.
According to the CDC, pediatric abusive head trauma, commonly called shaken baby syndrome, is a leading cause of physical child abuse deaths in children under 5 years of age in the U.S. Additionally, there are about 3,500 sleep-related deaths among US babies each year with 2 in 5 mothers reporting using soft bedding, which is not recommended. Thus, it is critical to inform new parents how to keep their babies safe and learn how to reach out when support is needed.
Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky created an educational video for new parents about safe sleep practices and pediatric abusive head trauma. It includes the personal testimony of a parent whose little boy suffered from PAHT at the hands of a caregiver when he was an infant. The Kentucky Hospital Association distributed the film to all birthing centers in Kentucky, who are in a unique position to provide immediate support to parents. WellCare sponsored this film, which enabled more than 50,000 new parents to view it in over 100 hospitals across the Commonwealth. With approximately 54,000 babies born each year in Kentucky, this is quite the impact!
KPHA commends you for your collaborative work to prevent death and disability, to strengthen families, and to improve the health of our communities.
This year’s KPHA Group Award is awarded to the three organizations that made this possible: Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky, WellCare Health Plans & the Kentucky Hospital Association!
Past Winners
2019: Achieving Recovery Together
2018: Christian and Todd County Health Departments
2017: Pike County Health Department Environmental Section
2016: BRIGHT Coalition
2015: City of Hopkinsville
2014: The HANDS Central Office Staff
2013: LHD Accreditation Coordinators Workgroup
2012: The Clark County Dental Initiative
2011: Kentucky Department for Public Health
2010: Madison County Safety Coalition
2009: Clark County Activity Coalition
2008: Not Awarded
2007: Barren River District Health Department
2006: Federation or Women’s Clubs
2005: Let’s Immunize Very Early – Sanofi Pasteur
2004: “HANDS” Program
2003: Passport Health Plans, Louisville
2002: Kentucky Home Place Project
2001: Woodford County Health Department
2000: Magoffin County Women’s Club
1999: Henderson County Diabetes Coalition
1998: Franklin-Simpson Hospital
1997: Planned Approach to Community Health Committee – Marshall County
1996: John’s Creek Kiwanis Club, Pike County
1995: Christian Appalachian Project
1994: Western Kentucky University, KPHA Chapter
1993: Salyersville Kiwanis Club
1992: Action for Children-Hopkins County
1991: March of Dimes
1990: Appalachian Regional Health, Inc. (formerly ARH)
1989: Louisville-Jefferson County Health Department/Hepatitis A Team
1988: Suburban Women’s Club, Lexington
1987: Kentucky Vision Project
1986: Jefferson County Lifeguard Trainers
1985: Kentucky Society to Prevent Blindness
1984: Kentucky Jaycees and Jaycee-ettes
1983: Prestonsburg Kiwaniennes
1982: Twin Lakes Business and Professional Women’s Club, Leitchfield
1981: Green River District Health Department
1980: Bowling Green Junior Women’s Club
1979: Clark County Women’s Club
1978: Owensboro-Daviess County Interagency Council
1977: Lexington-Fayette County Health Department
1976: Harlan County Medical Society
1975: Lexington-Fayette County Health Department
1974: Kentucky Kidney Foundation
1973: Kentucky Chapter, American Red Cross
1972: McCracken County Health information Committee
1970: Kentucky Federation of Women’s Clubs
1965: Hardin County Medical Society Jefferson County Steering
1963: Committee on Sabine Vaccine Program
1960: Younger Women’s Club of Clay County
1959: Bowling Green Civitan Club
1958: Mason County Medical Society