CPH recently graduated approximately 120 public health graduates; however, their story is just beginning and will be written by their next decision – their first destination after graduating. This year, our graduates are strongly poised for both advanced careers and furthering their educational opportunities.

We cordially invited our public health community recently to the 2023 CPH Awards Night event, an opportunity to celebrate each other and recognize outstanding achievements and excellence of students, faculty, and staff. Congrats to all the nominees and winners. Check out the event pictures here!

As a first-generation college graduate from CPH, Ashley Wright is carrying a legacy for her family. At an early age, Wright’s father passed away, which set her on a course to find a purpose and passion for helping others. She often thinks of him as her guardian angel, guiding her through her studies which eventually led her to finding public health. Watch Ashley's video here!

When Alina Goodman first came to UK in her sophomore year, she knew little about the campus. The same was true about CPH. However, sometimes things fall into place and Goodman walked across the spring commencement stage the morning of May 5th, 2023, as a graduate.

At CPH, preparing future health champions to be career-ready is part of the commitment to student success. The Kentucky Department for Public Health (KDPH) is one of our primary partners and is committed to enhancing collaboration for student internships and practice opportunities.

The number of drug overdose deaths in Kentucky has declined for the first time since 2018, according to the Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center (KIPRC). Dana Quesinberry, co-principal investigator for surveillance of the Kentucky Drug Overdose Data to Action (OD2A) Program at KIPRC, said death certificate data from 2022 show that drug overdose deaths in Kentucky are down by 5% from the previous year. 

More than 200 attendees participated in the inaugural Public Health Showcase 2023 event. Sponsored by CPH, this event was an unique opportunity for a diverse community to share and celebrate innovative work in public health, community practice, teaching, and workforce development.

Meet Angela Kik, BSN, CEN, EMT, a current Nurse Consultant and Emergency Response Section Supervisor for the Emergency Preparedness and Response Branch of the Kentucky Department for Public Health’s (KDPH) Cabinet for Health and Family Services, in Frankfort, Ky., which is one of the foundational public health services in the state.

Erin Haynes, DrPH, Kurt W. Deuschle Professor of Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health and chair of the Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health at CPH, is one of 16 University Research Professors for 2023-24, honoring faculty members who have demonstrated excellence that addresses scientific, social, cultural and economic challenges in our region and around the world.

Dr. Keith R. Knapp was recently inducted into the American College of Health Care Administrators (ACHCA) 2023 Hall of Fame, which recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the American College of Health Care Administrators over an extended period or have provided a unique and lasting contribution to the College.

Doctors have long known that maintaining healthy blood pressure (BP) levels can help stave off a host of health problems, from cardiovascular and kidney disease to cognitive decline. But what if having high BP isn’t the only property of this critical measure that increases health risk? Min-Woong Sohn, Ph.D., was recently awarded a DOD grant to explore his hypotheses about the impact of variable blood pressure on human health.

Alum Andrea Flinchum is currently the manager for the Healthcare-Associated Infection/Antibiotic Resistance Prevention Program at the Kentucky Department for Public Health (KDPH. For Andrea, it’s quite simple --- it’s all about helping people, building trust and partnerships, and doing better (for others) than what you did yesterday.

Alum Marcus A. Hincks, MHA, CHFP, was recently promoted to Major (Maj.) in the United States Air Force in a special ceremony attended by friends, family, and colleagues at Sheppard AFB, Texas. Beginning in July, Maj. Hincks is also assuming a new role as the Fellow, Air Force Budget Programs at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.

This year's annual Kentucky Harm Reduction Summit will be held on June 14-15 at Eastern Kentucky University’s Richmond campus co-hosted by Madison County Health Department and Estill County Health Department. The Summit will feature local, regional, and national speakers and exhibitors, with a focus on harm reduction and disease prevention in the Commonwealth. 

The 2023 TCOM (Transformational Collaborative Outcomes Management) Conference, Oct 4-6, provides a platform for the field to develop their skills, and share their knowledge with TCOM and it’s applicable tools. We invite all that are interested in TCOM or curious about this work to attend this annual event and consider showcasing their work.