SUMMER 2019
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
A MISSION TO BREAK THE CYCLE OF ADDICTION AND DEATH [P. 9]
IN THIS ISSUE CPH LEADERSHIP TEAM DEAN
Donna Arnett PhD MSPH ASSOCIATE DEAN
FOR ADMINISTRATION
Paula Arnett DrPH MBA ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR RESEARCH
Teresa Waters PhD ASSOCIATE DEAN (INTERIM) FOR STUDENT & ACADEMIC LIFE
Paula Arnett DrPH MBA
02
13
STUDENTS AND ALUMNI
SUBSTANCE USE RESEARCH DAY
DIRECTOR
OF COMMUNICATION
07
Allison Elliott-Shannon MA DIRECTOR
OF PHILANTHROPY
Shelley Ward
THE FUTURE OF PUBLIC HEALTH IN KENTUCKY
MAGAZINE WRITER/EDITOR
Allison Elliott-Shannon MA DESIGNER/PHOTOGRAPHER
Justin Sumner ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY
UK Public Relations and Marketing PRINTER
Copy Express, Lexington KY To request additional copies or for questions or comments, contact allison.elliott@uky.edu or write to: UK College of Public Health 111 Washington Avenue Suite 112 Lexington, KY 40536 Facebook @ukcph Twitter @ukcph Instagram @ukcph cph.uky.edu
06
14
DOES SMOKING CONTRIBUTE TO DEMENTIA?
NATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH WEEK
09 ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
Dear Friends and Alumni: Welcome to a new issue of Catalyst, the magazine of the University of Kentucky College of Public Health. This issue has a special focus on the leading role our College is taking in turning the tide of the opioid epidemic ravaging Kentucky and the nation. As it says on the cover, “enough is enough”. We have seen enough death in our communities. We have seen enough pain. We have seen enough lives lost at the tip of a needle or the bottom of a pill bottle. Now, alongside our academic, governmental, and community partners, we as a College are at the vanguard of the effort to end this epidemic of addiction—the public health crisis of our generation. At the University of Kentucky, as the flagship institution of a state that has been particularly hard-hit by the opioid crisis, we consider it our professional and moral obligation to attack this “wicked problem” with everything we have. We have the strength to do this. As a powerhouse of substance use research, our College in particular is home to some of the leading investigators in the fields of addiction-related health policy, data monitoring, community-based research, and intervention. Beginning on page 9, you will read about our role in a massive new project funded by $87 million dollars awarded by the National Institutes of Health to UK and Kentucky to reduce opioid overdose deaths by 40 percent in 16 counties that represent more than a third of Kentucky’s population. The roster of co-investigators on this transformational grant includes four faculty from the College of Public Health. Throughout this section you will also learn about other ways
our College is contributing to the battle to save Kentucky from the crisis of substance use— through research, service, and multisectoral partnerships. This fight is personal to us, and we will be in it until the battle is won.
Sincerely,
Donna K. Arnett, PhD, MSPH Dean, UK College of Public Health
SUMMER 2019 | UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY COLLEGE OF PUBLIC HEALTH | [ 1 ]
STUDENTS AND ALUMNI JHOAN DUTTON
Bachelor of Public Health, Class of 2019
Born in Cali, Colombia, and raised in Nashville, Tenn., BPH graduate Jhoan Dutton chose CPH for the opportunity to “learn tangible things applicable to [my] future goals.” What he found at CPH was not just knowledge, but the opportunity to contribute to knowledge formation through research. In April 2019, Jhoan received the CPH Undergraduate Research Award for his contributions. As a student researcher, Jhoan made an impact as part of two studies conducted by the Rural Cancer Prevention Center (RCPC). Working closely with RCPC associate director Tom Collins, Jhoan undertook data
CADY CORNELL
Master of Public Health, Class of 2019
A native of Mt. Washington, Ky., Cady Cornell chose CPH for her graduate education after meeting with faculty members in the department of Health, Behavior & Society (HBS). “I loved their passion for social justice and evident dedication to their students,” she said. While earning her MPH, Cady worked as a graduate research assistant for HBS associate professor Dr. Christina Studts, focusing on projects with deaf and hard of hearing children across Kentucky. “Dr. Studts is such a rising rockstar in the field, it was awesome getting to work with her. This experience taught me so much about community health and the process of how
change is achieved. Dr. Studts and Julie Jacobs [project director] truly poured so much into me over my two years at UK, and helped hone my skills as an emerging professional.” Cady is a “rising rockstar” herself, receiving the MPH Health Behavior Concentration Award, the CPH Research Day Masters Student Award, and the John Sterling Wiggs “Golden Rule” Award. “The best advice I have to give to future MPH students is to get involved in the College outside of class if you are able. So much of public health is handson, so take advantage of any opportunity, and get to know the faculty while you’re at UK!”
[ 2 ] UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY COLLEGE OF PUBLIC HEALTH | SUMMER 2019
management and analysis for research with the potential to impact health policy in Kentucky and beyond. As part of another project at CPH, Jhoan gained experience in grant writing while assisting with protocol development for a study focused on reproductive health services for women with opioid use disorder. “My advice for future students is to take on every opportunity. Ask your professors if you can help with research, be a TA, or do an internship. Also, take risks. I’ve pushed away self-doubt and put myself out there—and the returns have been incredible.”
STUDENTS AND ALUMNI
RONALD W. HOLDER, JR. Master of Health Administration, Class of 1998
Holder credits his MHA training for his ability to work with and manage teams of professionals.
Vice-President of the Temple Region for Baylor Scott & White Health
Ron Holder, an alumnus of the Master of Health Administration program, was recently named to the Board of Directors of the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME), the national accrediting body for healthcare management programs. A past chair of the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) Board of Directors, and a Fellow in both the American College of Healthcare Executives and the American College of Medical Practice Executives, his career has exemplified leadership through service. But how did he get his start in health administration? And what advice does he have for future health leaders?
“Working in teams is incredibly important in management and executive leadership. The benefit of a team-based project during the MHA program is not the finished product, but learning how to hold peers and colleagues accountable even when you don’t have direct authority. In healthcare, influence is a far better tool to have than authority if you want a positive culture.” “Some people skills are things you have to learn on the job,” Holder continued, “but I had all the other building blocks from my time in the MHA program…finance, economics, health law, and policy.”
Attending the University of Kentucky as a biology major, the Glasgow, Ky. , native knew that he was interested in working in and around healthcare. Seeking a professional future that would combine his analytical abilities with a natural inclination toward leadership, Holder chose the MHA program as preparation for a career in health administration. “I knew I liked healthcare, and I started around the beginning of my senior year of college to seek ways I could work in healthcare that would leverage my analytical skills. I’ve always enjoyed the concept of continuous improvement whether it be processes or mentoring and coaching people.” Today, Holder leads more than 700 people at Baylor Scott & White Health. He is currently responsible for executive leadership of the practices of more than 230 physicians, 90 advanced practice professionals, and multiple hospital functions. He is also the cardiovascular service line administrator for the Central Texas Division of Baylor Scott & White Health. As an executive, Holder has an eye on the bottom line, but also spends much of his time nurturing the human component of health systems. “I spend at least half my day interacting, managing, coaching or working with people and nurturing relationships.”
“Professors in the MHA program were really interested in making sure that the students got what they needed. The quality of the teaching, the program, and the professors were topnotch.” Throughout his career, even Holder’s hobbies have involved leadership—as a coach for Upward Basketball and as a Boy Scout leader. “I tend to do my best mentoring and coaching one-on-one or in small huddles,” said Holder. “I enjoy pulling information out of people that they didn’t know they had to get to solutions. While solving problems that arise in healthcare is satisfying, it’s even more enjoyable helping people learn how to problem solve.”
SUMMER 2019 | UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY COLLEGE OF PUBLIC HEALTH | [ 3 ]
STUDENTS AND ALUMNI On his way to his current post at Baylor Scott & White Health, Holder also spent five years as the administrator of the University of Louisville Department of Anesthesiology and more than four years in progressive roles with the University of Kentucky Department of Surgery. In fact, he took on the role with UK HealthCare while completing his MHA. That is how, at only 25, he found himself serving as interim administrator of a department. So, what is his advice to current and future students? “Find a combination of what brings you joy and what you’re good at. Try stuff! Little failures aren’t the end of the world; they’re learning experiences you can build on. Do it, learn it, master it – worry about the money later,” said Holder. “Surround yourself with great people, help them grow, and pay it forward. Most of all, help build the next generation of leaders once you’re out there, because someone helped you get where you are.”
By Allison Elliott-Shannon
MHA ALUMNI BEGIN FELLOWSHIPS 2018-19 Graduates Earn Prestigious Placements Nationwide
Lucas Brooks
Reynalda Davis
Larrin Collins
Blake Freeman
Olivia Colliver
Adam Mardis
UNC Caldwell Memorial Hospital Lenoir, NC
Medical University of South Carolina Health Charleston, SC
UK HealthCare Lexington, KY
Banner - University Medical Center Phoenix, AZ
Norton Medical Group Louisville, KY
St. Elizabeth Physicians Group, Erlanger, KY
[ 4 ] UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY COLLEGE OF PUBLIC HEALTH | SUMMER 2019
FOCUS ON FACULTY
TEACHERS MAKE A DIFFERENCE College of Public Health faculty were honored at the 2019 Teachers Who Made a Difference awards, sponsored by the UK College of Education. Left to right: Dr. Anna Hoover, assistant professor of Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health; Dr. Martha Riddell, associate professor of Health Management and Policy; and Prof. Sarah Cprek, lecturer in Health, Behavior & Society. Not pictured: Dr. Glen Mays, professor of Health Management and Policy and Dr. Olga Vsevolozhskaya, assistant professor of Biostatistics.
RECOGNIZED FOR WIKI EDUCATION PROJECT Dr. Erin Haynes, professor and chair of Epidemiology, is part of a team that in May 2019 received the Bullard-Sherwood Research-to-Practice Award from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) for using Wikipedia to educate the public. Through a collaboration with Wiki Education, students enrolled with Dr. Haynes took on scientific topics to ensure that related information on Wikipedia is accurate, accessible, and timely. Students expanded their own knowledge while educating the general public through the widely-used information source.
CPH FACULTY TEACHING AWARDS Golden Apple Award, Presented by SPHA Dr. Christina Studts, associate professor of Health, Behavior & Society Dean’s Innovation in Teaching Award Dr. Erin Abner, associate professor of Epidemiology Dean’s Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Performance Award Prof. Jennifer Daddysman, lecturer in Biostatistics Dean’s Outstanding Graduate Teaching Performance Award Dr. Sarah Wackerbarth, associate professor of Health
Management and Policy SUMMER 2019 | UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY COLLEGE OF PUBLIC HEALTH | [ 5 ]
FOCUS ON FACULTY
DOES SMOKING CONTRIBUTE TO DEMENTIA?
Dr. Erin Abner Associate Professor, Epidemiology
Competing risk analysis provides new answers It’s an irrefutable fact that smoking is bad for you. Study after study has proven that smoking increases your risk for cancer, heart disease, diabetes — even blindness. But dementia? Not so fast. A recent study demonstrates that smoking is not associated with a higher risk of dementia. The paper “Tobacco Smoking and Dementia in a Kentucky Cohort: A Competing Risk Analysis” appears in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. Many previous studies have found a correlation between smoking and dementia. However, Dr. Erin Abner of the UK College of Public Health and Sanders-Brown Center on Aging (SBCoA) and colleagues wanted to explore outcomes using a different method of data analysis. “The underlying data [in those studies] was solid, but the analysis didn’t take into account the idea of competing risk of mortality, which we felt was an important factor to consider in this case since smoking is so strongly associated with earlier death,” Abner said. Competing risk analysis can change how data is “counted” in a study, ultimately shaping study conclusions. “In the case of our study, if smoking kills someone before they show signs of dementia, how can you accurately count that person? We think that those deaths should be accounted for when predicting dementia risk. If, for example, we were studying cancer deaths and smoking, and one of the people in the study died from heart disease, what do we do with that person’s data?” Abner said. “That person can’t possibly die from cancer since a competing event—death from heart disease— has occurred. If we ignore that information, the data are not telling the right story.” Abner and colleagues examined longitudinal data from 531 initially cognitively-normal people who were part of the SBCoA BRAiNS study, which has
followed hundreds of volunteers an average of more than 11 years to explore the effects of aging on cognition. They used a competing risk analysis to determine whether there was a connection between smoking and dementia once the competing risk of death was included. The data demonstrated that smoking was associated with a risk of earlier death—but not with dementia. Interestingly, said Abner, their conclusions support several earlier neuropathological studies, which did not find that Alzheimer’s disease pathology was more prevalent in smokers. “To be clear, we are absolutely not promoting smoking in any way,” said Abner. “We’re saying that smoking doesn’t appear to cause dementia in this population.” Abner also noted that while competing risk analysis is well-known and has been adapted successfully in other areas of research, it is not the standard approach in the field of dementia research, where the competing risk of death is ever-present. “While our study results could influence smoking cessation policy and practice, we feel that the most important consequence of our work is to demonstrate how this method could change the way we approach dementia research and to advocate for its adoption in the appropriate areas of study.” By Laura Wright, UK Public Relations and Marketing
[ 6 ] UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY COLLEGE OF PUBLIC HEALTH | SUMMER 2019
FOCUS ON FACULTY
THE FUTURE OF PUBLIC HEALTH IN KENTUCKY Dr. Angela Carman’s work bridges practice and scholarship. Academia is a second career for Dr. Angela Carman, who came to the College of Public Health following a successful career in hospital and health administration. Today, as an assistant professor of Health, Behavior & Society, she is a conduit between the academic and practice communities focused on public health in Kentucky. Due to her consulting work for local health departments (LHDs), Carman is now recognized as one of the state’s go-to consultants for LHDs in need of expert help in strategic planning and community needs assessment. Her approach to consulting—teaching while facilitating—equips LHDs for future success in meeting community health needs. In 2018, as Kentucky Health Commissioner Dr. Jeff Howard set about forming the Commissioner’s Task Force on the Future of Public Health in Kentucky, he tapped Carman to serve on the team. Facing what Howard described as “a time of unprecedented change” in population health needs in Kentucky—driven by poor health outcomes, as well as a shifting economic landscape—the task force is focused on building multisectoral solutions to complex population health problems affecting the Commonwealth. Composed of LHD leaders chosen for their known problem-solving abilities and to represent a range of rural, urban, single-county and district LHDs, the task force is charged with turning a potential crisis around funding and resources into an opportunity to reimagine the organization of public health in the state of Kentucky. Ultimately, the objective of the task force is to make the Kentucky public health system and its constituent LHDs more efficient and more responsive to community needs. Carman—with her multidisciplinary background in healthcare, governmental public health, and academic research—is now engaged in leading what may be the first-ever comprehensive statewide health needs assessment. This ground-up, communitysourced research will inform the writing of a statewide plan for public health in Kentucky.
Always the teacher, Carman has also created experiential learning opportunities for several Bachelor of Public Health and Master of Public Health students by bringing them on-board as student assistants or part-time employees. Workforce development is another area where the task force seeks to enhance efficiency. “Every local health department does a workforce development plan. The state does too. Why are we doing separate ones?” asked Carman. “One service we can provide as the College of Public Health is using our expertise to contribute to this planning. CPH will launch a workforce needs assessment for all LHDs, analyze the results, and work with the task force to identify trainings that can be offered across the state.” So, what would a reimagined public health system for Kentucky look like? “We are using concepts from business management, implementation science and community-based participatory research— capturing the data as it happens—analyzing and informing our understanding of a rapidly-changing situation. It’s exciting, and it’s pushing us toward many new projects for the advancement of public health in Kentucky,” Carman said. “Our primary goal is to build a focused, simplified, and financially sustainable public health system.” By Allison Elliott-Shannon Dr. Angela Carman Assistant Professor, Health, Behavior & Society
SUMMER 2019 | UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY COLLEGE OF PUBLIC HEALTH | [ 7 ]
STAY UP-TO-DATE ON OUR MOST RECENT OPIOID-RELATED PROJECTS AT CPH.UKY.EDU/OPIOIDS
UK, Kentucky Awarded $87 M to Lead Effort in Combating Nation’s Opioid Epidemic In the largest grant ever awarded to the University of Kentucky, researchers from UK’s Center on Drug and Alcohol Research (CDAR) and across campus — in partnership with the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services and the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet (JPSC) — will lead a project as part of the HEALing Communities study. The award was announced in April 2019 by U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex M. Azar at a press conference in Washington, D.C.. The four-year, more than $87 million study has an ambitious and profoundly important goal: reducing opioid overdose deaths by 40 percent in 16 counties that represent more than a third of Kentucky’s population.
SUMMER 2019 | UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY COLLEGE OF PUBLIC HEALTH | [ 9 ]
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH whose life has been damaged by this illness. Its victims are us. But there is hope. There is us. That is why we believe aggressive, ambitious change is possible. Indeed, it is essential. That is why we believe we can — and must — lead the way.”
Dr. April Young Associate Professor, Epidemiology
Kentucky and UK represent one of only four study sites across the United States selected by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), for this groundbreaking effort.
“This grant is a recognition that this university — the University for Kentucky — must lead in helping shape a brighter future for the Commonwealth we have served for more than 150 years,” said E. Britt Brockman, chair of the UK Board of Trustees. “In partnership with state government, we are taking on the bold — but essential — goal of combating the epidemic of opioids that is destroying lives and ravaging communities. This grant represents the hope
“The opioid epidemic does not discriminate by zip code, race, income, or any other demographic characteristic. It is not a character or moral failing, but an illness. It’s unforgiving. It touches us all.”
- UK President Eli Capilouto
The study is part of the NIH HEAL (Helping to End Addiction Long-term) Initiative, a bold, trans-agency effort to speed scientific solutions to stem the national opioid crisis. The goal is to develop evidence-based solutions to the opioid crisis and offer new hope for individuals, families and communities affected by this devastating crisis. More broadly, the idea is to see if solutions in different communities across the state can be scaled up and replicated as part of a national approach to the challenge.
and promise that we can change that, that we can bring help and healing to our state and our country. Our university was founded
“Kentuckians know the insidiousness of this disease better than most,” said UK President Eli Capilouto. “The opioid epidemic does not discriminate by zip code, race, income, or any other demographic characteristic. It is not a character or moral failing, but an illness. It’s unforgiving. It touches us all. We all know someone — a member of our family, a loved one, a lifelong friend or classmate — [ 10 ] UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY COLLEGE OF PUBLIC HEALTH | SUMMER 2019
Dr. Svetla Slavova Associate Professor, Epidemiology
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH Dr. Heather Bush Professor & Chair, Biostatistics
to lead in this way. We look forward, in partnership with our state, to meeting this challenge.” Dr. Sharon Walsh, CDAR director, is the principal investigator of the Kentucky study and will lead a team of more than 200 researchers, staff and state and community partners involved in the project. Four of the co-investigators are faculty members in the College of Public Health: Dr. April Young, associate professor of Epidemiology and faculty associate with CDAR; Dr. Heather Bush, professor and chair of Biostatistics; Dr. Philip Westneat, associate professor of Biostatistics; and Dr. Svetla Slavova, associate professor of Biostatistics. “The goal is to show meaningful change in the overdose death rate in a short period of time and to do so in a way that can reveal what evidence-based interventions are effective in the community,” Walsh said. “What will work? Is it distributing more naloxone? Is it educating people better about evidence-based treatment? Is it expanding access to treatment and
Honored for Paper of the Year, Named University Research Professor In May 2019 Dr. Svetla Slavova, associate professor of Biostatistics and faculty researcher at the Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center, accepted the Jess Kraus Award from Injury Epidemiology for her 2018 paper “Interrupted time series design to evaluate the effect of the ICD-9-CM to ICD-10-CM coding transition on injury hospitalization trends”. The Jess Kraus Award is bestowed by the editorial board of the journal to recognize the best paper of the year. Earlier in the Spring, Dr. Slavova was further honored by UK as she was named a University Research Professor for 2019 - 2020.
decreasing barriers? For example, if we pay for someone to have transportation to get to their treatment program will that help them stay in treatment? We know that people face real barriers accessing treatment and staying in treatment. We would like to remove those barriers because we also know that being out of treatment is a risk for death.”
THE OPIOID CRISIS AMERICANS DIED OF AN OPIOID OVERDOSE IN 2017
47,000 LIVE WITH 2,000,000 AMERICANS ADDICTION TO OPIOIDS 5
KENTUCKY’S CURRENT RANK
TH FOR OPIOID OVERDOSE DEATHS IN THE U.S.
UK researchers are hoping to reduce deaths and substance abuse by leveraging existing community resources and initiatives to deploy a robust and comprehensive set of evidence-based interventions. Sixteen counties in Kentucky that are “highly affected communities” have been identified to be included in the randomized study. They include: Fayette, Jessamine, Clark, Kenton, Campbell, Mason, Greenup, Carter, Boyd, Knox, Jefferson, Franklin, Boyle, Madison, Bourbon and Floyd counties. Overall, these rural and metropolitan SUMMER 2019 | UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY COLLEGE OF PUBLIC HEALTH | [ 11 ]
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH counties had 764 opioid overdose deaths in 2017 with two-thirds of them involving fentanyl. They also represent about 40 percent of the state’s overall population of more than 4 million people. The counties involved in the study will be randomized in two separate waves with theory-driven implementation strategies deployed during an initial eight-month phase followed by an observation period to gauge the impacts of the interventions on OD-related outcomes. Researchers will work closely with community coalition partners to ensure a community-centered approach and to maximize engagement. In addition, a comprehensive health communication
HEALING COMMUNITIES $87,000,000 IN FUNDING TO UK 4 YEARS PROJECT TIMELINE 16 KENTUCKY COUNTIES UK RESEARCHERS, AND STATE AND 200 STAFF, COMMUNITY PARTNERS strategy will be used to reach the public, reduce stigma and increase awareness of — and access to — the interventions available through the program. By implementing the “multi-level, multi-target, integrated evidence-based interventions” in the highly affected communities selected in the study, researchers hypothesize opioid overdose (OD) deaths could be reduced by as much as 40 percent. The study will seek to bear out the hypothesis.
Dr. Philip Westgate Associate Professor, Biostatistics
The study’s aims also include: • Improving and expanding opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment by increasing the use of medications in treatment, • Expanding OD prevention by increasing OD training, naloxone distribution and fentanyl test strip distribution for individuals at high risk for opioid OD, and • Reducing the opioid supply by decreasing high-risk opioid prescribing and dispensing practices through targeted education and increasing safe disposal of unused opioids. The study is being carried out in partnership with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), which provides support for many of the local prevention, treatment and recovery support services to be studied. “I am so proud that we could bring together this group of collaborators who are renowned experts in their respective fields, passionate about this topic, and who also happen to work at UK,” Walsh said. “There’s a lot of work in front of us to implement this grant, to get the project rolling and to get communities engaged but I just like to look forward and imagine three years or so from now where we’ve really seen a downturn in overdose deaths and can attribute some of that to the HEALing Communities Study.” By Kristi Willett, UK Public Relations and Marketing
[ 12 ] UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY COLLEGE OF PUBLIC HEALTH | SUMMER 2019
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH
This web-based tool, developed by the Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center to improve access to substance use disorder treatment within the state of Kentucky, went live on January 15, 2018.
WHO IS SEARCHING FOR TREATMENT?
42% CONCERNED FAMILY 34% REFERRING PROFESSIONALS 24% INDIVIDUALS SEEKING TREATMENT
VITAL STATS
558 TREATMENT FACILITIES 210,000 TOTAL SITE VISITS 180,000 UNIQUE SITE VISITORS 80,000 SEARCHES
Most site visitors come from Louisville or Lexington and are searching on behalf of a loved one for residential or medication-assisted treatment that accepts Medicaid.
FindHelpNowKY.org is provided by Kentucky’s Office of the Governor, Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center as bona fide agent of Kentucky Department for Public Health, Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy, and the University of Kentucky; funded by CDC grant number 6NU17CE002732-03-02 in partnership with Operation UNITE.
Substance Use Research Day The first-ever University of Kentucky Substance Use Research Day (SURD) took place on March 7, 2019, in the Gatton Student Center. SURD featured posters and oral presentations focused on all aspects of substance abuse prevention, treatment, and recovery, as well as keynote addresses by Dr. Lorenzo Legio of the National Institutes of Health Intramural Research Program and Dr. Holly Hagan, professor at New York University College of Global Public Health and co-director of the National Institute for Drug Abuse P30 Center for Drug Use and HIV/HCV Research.
55 POSTER PRESENTATIONS 22 ORAL PRESENTATIONS 11 UK COLLEGES 14 OTHER INSTITUTIONS
The College of Public Health was wellrepresented among SURD presenters and attendees, as well as organizers. Dr. April Young, associate professor of Epidemiology, served on the three-person organizing committee. Dr. Young was joined Dr. Kathi Harp, assistant professor of Health Management and Policy, on the six-person program committee. SUMMER 2019 | UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY COLLEGE OF PUBLIC HEALTH | [ 13 ]
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH
NATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH WEEK April 1-5, 2019, the College joined partners across the nation in celebrating the impact of public health, with a special focus on the opioid epidemic and substance use disorder treatment.
NPHW 2019 highlights: “We’re All in This Together” – An expert panel on the multisectoral approach to substance use disorder in Kentucky “It Happened to Us” – A student-led event featuring first-hand accounts of addiction, recovery, and activism, followed by a discussion on substance use disorder in Kentucky “Prevention Research Supported by the National Institutes of Health” – Presented by Dr. David Murray, NIH Associate Director for Prevention, as part of the Center for Innovation in Population Health Distinguished Lecture Series Learn more about NPHW at UK at http://cph.uky.edu/week. [ 14 ] UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY COLLEGE OF PUBLIC HEALTH | SUMMER 2019
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH
SUMMER 2019 | UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY COLLEGE OF PUBLIC HEALTH | [ 15 ]
PHILANTHROPY
WHY I GIVE: Faculty Perspective
“As a doctoral student at the College of Public Health, I had the opportunity to study internationally due to the generosity of donors. I want to ensure that all of our students, including first-generation students like myself, have the same opportunities I did. Giving to support student scholarships is my way of paying it forward.” Paula Arnett, DrPH, MBA Assistant Professor, Department of Health Management and Policy Associate Dean for Administration
[ 16 ] UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY COLLEGE OF PUBLIC HEALTH | SUMMER 2019
PHILANTHROPY
DEAR FRIENDS OF CPH, At the heart of our College is our mission to develop health champions, conduct multidisciplinary and applied research, and collaborate with partners to improve health in Kentucky and beyond. It’s a tall order, but with your help we are making it a reality. The previous academic year was an exciting one for our College as we welcomed new students, new faculty focused on teaching and research, and new partners who share our vision to be the catalyst of positive change for population health. The University of Kentucky unveiled a plan for campus modernization that includes a new home for the College of Public Health in a revitalized Scovell Hall. On the academic front, we added a new University Scholars program aimed at accelerated undergraduate students. Soon we will be able to serve even more students through an all-online Master of Public Health degree. This is truly an exhilarating time to be part of the College of Public Health. As we look toward the future of the College, we need our friends and supporters more than ever. With your help we can relieve the burden of educational debt for our undergraduate and graduate students. We can recruit and retain the best scholars as teachers and researchers. And we can create a permanent home for the College of Public Health in a facility that fosters collaboration and inspires discovery. May we count on you to help us build a healthier, brighter future in Kentucky and beyond? Gifts of any size are appreciated, but we also want to meet you to learn about your story and why the work of this College matters to you. To connect with the College of Public Health, please contact me by email at shelley.ward@uky. edu, or by telephone at 859.323.4551. Thank you for your ongoing support of the College of Public Health. With your help, we can make a difference in the lives of so many.
Sincerely,
Shelley Ward Director of Philanthropy shelley.ward@uky.edu 859.323.4551 SUMMER 2019 | UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY COLLEGE OF PUBLIC HEALTH | [ 17 ]
College of Public Health
NONPROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT 51 LEXINGTON, KY
College of Public Health University of Kentucky 111 Washington Avenue Lexington, KY 40536
http://cph.uky.edu/ An Equal Opportunity University