KPHA Group Award

Webster’s Dictionary defines team as a group of people who perform interdependent tasks to work toward accomplishing a common mission. The winner of the 2026 KPHA group award perfectly fits that description. Numerous letters of support described how they work tirelessly across the commonwealth to investigate outbreaks, communicate complex data to community partners and to respond to public health emergencies. Their leadership, collaboration, and innovation in safeguarding the public health of Kentuckians has been showcased over the last few years. As the public health world has become more complex, they have worked harder to help their local health departments and other community partners adapt to the changing landscape. This team has been serving local health departments since fall 2002, and we are delighted to recognize them today for their decades of service. The 2026 KPHA Group Award is presented to the Kentucky Regional Epidemiologists. Accepting on their behalf is the program coordinator, Kristy Bolen.

This group may not always be in the spotlight, but the lives they touch and the differences they make are monumental. The LMPHW Quick Response Team (QRT) (pictured to the left) follows up with referrals from Louisville EMS, Louisville Fire, and Norton Healthcare to provide a wellness check within 72 hours on individuals who have experienced an opioid overdose. During those visits, the QRT compassionately talks with the person about the overdose, leaning on their personal lived experiences to connect and relate to community members. The QRT refers people to whatever services they may need including treatment, mental and medical health services, food, clothing, shelter, and housing. According to one letter of support, the personal journeys of the QRT members “make them the perfect guides for those who feel lost, misunderstood, or hopeless. In many ways they are the living proof that recovery is not only possible but achievable.”

The QRT partnered with the epidemiologists (pictured to the right) at LMPHW to develop a data system and dashboard that is used to track key performance indicators and understand the team’s reach in the community. Since July 2021, the QRT has received over 7000 referrals of possible overdoses; connected with 675 people who experienced an overdose; referred 255 people to treatment; and distributed over 2500 units of naloxone.

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.

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.

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.

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!

• 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