Kristy Bolen, MPH
Epidemiologist II
KDPH, Division of Epidemiology and Health Planning
“A flower that blooms in adversity is the rarest and most beautiful of all,” is a quote that is said to exemplify her. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, she has risen above hardship to be a leader that was needed in responding to the crisis at hand. She has acted as a pilar of strength and wisdom in a time of uncertainty, and has continued to be a beacon of light for colleagues in the face of adversity.
As an epidemiologist, her work has been focused on infectious disease response and mitigation efforts. Her career began at the local level working as a regional epidemiologist, in which she served her community through both the H1N1 and Ebola responses. She later accepted a position with the Kentucky Department for Public Health as the Epidemiology Coordinator, in which she supervises and oversees the regional epidemiology program. In this role, she has served as a mentor and role model for new and seasoned epidemiologists, leading by example and pushing others to think beyond conventional norms.
Letters of support were numerous and came from multiple regional epidemiologists and peers. They describe her as “very supportive, encouraging, and understanding when it comes to working with her team” and “always willing to make time for us; she will always take our calls, even while we are in tears, and provides comfort, guidance and support.” Another letter of support states, “In the words of Mahatma Gandhi, ‘A sign of a good leader is not how many followers you have, but how many leaders you create’ and she has created epidemiology leaders across Kentucky.”
Benjamin Scott
Epidemiologist III
KDPH, Division of Maternal & Child Health
The definition of outstanding reads “exceptionally good, distinguished, striking, prominent” and Ben Scott exemplifies these words. As an epidemiologist, he has been a vital asset in assisting Kentucky communities from behind the scenes. You may not know him personally, but his work has led to informed decision making across the Commonwealth. As the lead data analyst for the COVID-19 response, he was the pilot creator of critical infrastructures used in assessing community vulnerability to COVID transmission, including the COVID-19 Daily Report, Geographic Information System (GIS) dashboards and the Key Indicator Monitoring Report. His work received national recognition when published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) in August of 2020.
He has also made significant contributions while working with the Environmental Public Health Tracking (EPHT) Program, including the successful implementation of the EnviroHealthLink system, collaborating with other programs, including the Kentucky Asthma Management Program (KAMP) and the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), to make data accessible in a one-stop location to support data driven decision making.
Many letters of support from leadership at DPH and peers were written in support of Mr. Scott’s nomination and they spoke of his consistency, confidence and kindness. One supporter said, “I am proud to work alongside him because he makes me want to be a better worker. He inspires me to approach an issue from multiple angles – to step back and evaluate a situation with greater detail”. Another stated, “He leads by being among the greatest examples of those who are dedicated to public health’s mission of Prevent, Promote and Protect”.