Prevention 2011

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Table of Contents FROM THE DEAN

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RESEARCH 4 University of Kentucky Receives Clinical Translational Science Award

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Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to Fund UK Public Health Study

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College of Public Health Launches National Coordinating Center for Public Health Services and Systems Research (PHSSR)

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College of Public Health Faculty Lead Cervical Cancer-Free Kentucky Initiative

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FACULTY NEWS

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First F. Douglas Scutchfield Endowed Professor Named

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Faculty Awards & Recognition

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STUDENT CORNER

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Public Health Graduates Selected for CDC Training Program

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Fulbright Student at CDC for Summer Internship

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DrPH Student to serve on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Country & City Health Officials (NACCHO)

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CLASS NOTES

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ALUMNI & DEVELOPMENT

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College of Public Health Annual Hall of Fame Celebration

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UK Travel Clinic at Kentucky Clinic South UK HealthCare Occupational Medicine & Environmental Health 2400 Greatstone Point, Lexington, KY 40504. For an appointment, please call 859-257-5150.

Acc eptin g New

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Our Team of Physicians Dr. Ray Garman, Dr. Scott Prince and Dr. Susan E. Spengler 2 Prevention | College of Public Health


from the dean Greetings from Lexington and the University of Kentucky College of Public Health! Ranked by U.S. News and World Report, as a Top 25 School of Public Health.s

The recently completed 2010-2011 academic year was indeed a banner year for the College, with records established in extramural research funding. The successes extended even deeper including: •

For the third consecutive year the College has experienced an all-time high in new student enrollment and diversity for the fall 2011 semester. The College continues to maintain a significant diversification of its student body among both minority and international students;

An amazingly positive re-accreditation review by the Council on Education for Public Health, resulting in the awarding of an accreditation term of 7 years;

Validation of our national leadership in public health services and systems research by being selected by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation as the home of the National Coordinating Center for Public Health Services and Systems Research;

Selection of two of our 2011 doctoral program graduates for the 2011 Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) Cohort by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC);

Official transition of the Master of Health Administration degree program to our College, and our faculty leading the effort to achieve re-accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation in Healthcare Management Education (CAHME);

A record development year in 2010-2011, with $1.5 million in gifts to the College to support faculty and student efforts; and

Awarding to UK of a Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), with the College faculty providing critical leadership to this effort.

It is my hope that our annual updates keep you connected to all the positive happenings in our College. If you would like to learn more about our college after reading our publication, please feel free to contact me.

Stephen W. Wyatt, D.M.D., M.P.H.  Dean

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Research Record Extramural Funding for FY 2010 - 11

RESEARCH

Direct Total: $ 11.5 million Collaborative Total: $ 41.3 million

University of Kentucky Receives Clinical Translational Science Award The National Institutes of Health (NIH), the largest government funding source for biomedical research in the United States, has awarded $20 million to the University of Kentucky to move research discoveries to health care solutions. The UK Center for Clinical & Translational Science is a collaboration of more than 200 individuals from 12 UK colleges, the Offices of the President, Provost, Executive Vice President for Health Affairs, and Vice President for Research, and all components of UK HealthCare. The College of Public Health faculty played a significant role in the acquisition of the CTSA award and will be responsible for key leadership components. Dean Stephen Wyatt is an Associate Director and a member of the Executive Steering Committee function. Dr. Todd Johnson is the Director of the Biomedical Informatics key function, program faculty include Drs. David Fardo, Marta Mendiondo, and Sujin Kim. Dr. Richard Kryscio is the Director of the Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Research Design (BERD) key function. Dr. Thomas Tucker serves as the BERD co-Director, program core faculty include Drs. Heather Bush and Richard Charnigo. Dr. Ramona-Elena Stone is the director of the Tracking and Evaluation component. Dr. F. Douglas Scutchfield serves as program faculty of the Community Engagement and Research key function. For more information visit http://www.ccts.uky.edu.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to Fund UK Public Health Study The University of Kentucky College of Public Health is among 13 new grantees sharing $3 million in the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Public Health Law Research (PHLR) program.

Public Health Law Research

The UK study will investigate the association between state laws that set the structure of local public health and the health status of local populations. Some states have very centralized public health systems, while others give a great deal of authority to local public health agencies. Kentucky’s structure is a hybrid, with some independent agencies and others that work closely with the state. Dr. Julia Costich, associate professor and chair of the Department of Health Services Management, is the principal investigator of the study, and Dr. Dana Patton, assistant professor, is co-investigator.

“If we find that some legal structures for local public health lower the impact of harmful factors, we will have evidence to support better public health system design,” Costich said. PHLR’s aim is to promote effective regulatory, legal and policy solutions to improve public health. Since its inception, the program has funded fourteen studies and several reviews of existing scientific evidence on several major public health challenges. PHLR is funded by RWJF as a part of its public health strategy aimed at ensuring that all Americans have quality public health services and policies that protect, promote and preserve their health, regardless of who they are or where they live. “The results of these studies are helping us in building the evidence that policy-makers can use to understand how laws and regulations affect public health - not just laws aimed at specific public health issues,” said Michelle Larkin, director of the public health team at RWJF. “Zoning laws, for example, affect opportunities for physical activity and access to healthy foods through farmers’ markets and grocery stores, which ultimately affect obesity rates.”

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College of Public Health Launches National Coordinating Center for Public Health Services and Systems Research (PHSSR) The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) has awarded a $3.2 million, three-year grant to the University of Kentucky College of Public Health to launch the National Coordinating Center for Public Health Services and Systems Research (PHSSR), a growing field designed to arm public health officials and policymakers with the data they need to make well-informed decisions about how health departments should be financed, staffed and structured. This research has become increasingly important as state and local health departments across the country face difficult choices due to budget cuts and reductions in staff, programs and services. “This is a difficult time for government and public health, particularly in light of the loss of more than 29,000 jobs in local health departments,” said Dr. Debra Joy Perez, interim assistant vice president for research and evaluation at RWJF. “It’s critical that we focus on research-based practice that helps make the case for the value of public health.” The goal of the new center is to grow this field of research by coordinating current PHSSR investments, supporting real-world applications, and strengthening the capacity of researchers and practitioners. Another key goal is to determine the future direction of the field’s research initiatives, and translate that research into practice. The National Coordinating Center also will work to increase the visibility of the work and attract other funders to the field. As a part of its efforts to further enhance the field, the NCC is working closely with RWJF and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to establish a new PHSSR research agenda. “In this era of health care reform and tight government budgets, now is the ideal time to take a hard look at how valuable public health dollars are being spent and how we can best spend those dollars in the future to ensure the greatest, most positive impact on the population,” said Dr. F. Douglas Scutchfield, director of the new center and the Peter B. Bosomworth Professor of Health Services Research and Policy at UK. The official launch of the National Coordinating Center was announced in April at the Keeneland Conference, in Lexington, KY. The conference, which is in its fourth year, is coordinated by the Resource Center for PHSSR at the UK College of Public Health. To guide its work, the National Coordinating Center has formed a National Advisory Committee that is focusing on the pillars that undergird the NCC: Building the Evidence, which will focus on natural experiments and evaluative research; Research Capacity, which will address methodological support, teaching assistant and training opportunities; Practice Application/Translation, which will look at opportunities for practitioner training and means of translating promising findings; and Expanding Funding, which will focus on ways to engage current and potential funders. For more information, visit http://www.publichealthsystems.org/

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College of Public Health Faculty Lead Cervical Cancer-Free Kentucky Initiative Cervical Cancer-Free Kentucky (CCFKY), housed at the University of Kentucky College of Public Health, along with Cervical Cancer-Free America (CCFA), and in conjunction with partner states, launched an initiative to prevent and eradicate cervical cancer nationwide on May 5, 2011. Cervical Cancer-Free Kentucky played a vital role in this national meeting, which was the most collaborative and comprehensive call to action to eliminate cervical cancer in the United States. Despite the fact that cervical cancer is largely preventable, approximately 400 women develop cervical cancer in Kentucky annually, and approximately 66 women die. Cervical Cancer-Free Kentucky and CCFA are establishing and strengthening diverse partnerships across the country to eliminate cervical cancer. “Cervical cancer is a preventable, and if found early, a curable disease,” says Dr. Baretta R. Casey, director of CCFKY. “Education of every woman, young and old, is important. One of the missions of CCFKY is to provide this education for Kentucky women.” The mission of CCFA is to bring together public health leaders, foundations, private partners, and cancer survivors to build and activate an ambitious public health campaign to eliminate cervical cancer through education, effective screening, and vaccination against human papilloma virus (HPV). “The goal of making the United States free of cervical cancer is ambitious but eminently achievable. Just like the polio vaccine nearly eradicated polio globally during the 20th century, we now have the opportunity to nearly eliminate cervical cancer collectively through screening, vaccination and treatment,” said Jennifer S. Smith, director of CCFA. The launch brought together the six partner states and over 75 organizations that worked together to share ideas on how to eradicate cervical cancer and to discuss the impact that new research and recent health policy has on this goal. “We now have the tools that could essentially eradicate cervical cancer. It is time to shift our focus from a primary emphasis on research to a primary emphasis on public health implementation. We can and must do better,” said John Schiller, senior investigator at the National Cancer Institute, Center for Cancer Research. CCFA currently has statewide partner programs in Alabama, California, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina and Texas. These states comprise thirty percent of all cervical cancer cases in the United States alone. The multi-state initiative calls for partners to plan and develop statewide projects, interventions and education programs. For more information, visit http://www.cervicalcancerfreeky.org.

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FACULTY NEWS First F. Douglas Scutchfield Endowed Professor Named The University of Kentucky College of Public Health has named Dr. Glen P. Mays to the newly established F. Douglas Scutchfield Endowed Professorship in Health Services and Systems Research. Mays was professor and chair of the Department of Health Policy and Management in the Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). “Kentucky has become the leading scientific and educational force for using the methods of health services research to uncover how to deliver better public health,” Mays said. “I am honored to join this exciting and growing enterprise at UK.” Mays’ research focuses on strategies for organizing and financing public health services, preventive care, and chronic disease management for underserved populations. At UK, Mays will be joining the work of the newly formed National Coordinating Center for Public Health Services and Systems Research, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. At UAMS, he directed the National Program Office of the Public Health Practice-Based Research Networks Program that is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. This program brings together public health agencies and researchers from around the nation to study innovations and improvements in practice. He also directed the NIH-funded Health Services Research Program of the UAMS Center for Clinical and Translational Research, which organizes research on strategies to improve the clinical and cost-effectiveness of health care across the state. Mays also serves as a senior fellow at the North Carolina Institute for Public Health at UNC-Chapel Hill, where he leads a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-funded study of strategies to improve the public health system’s ability to prepare for and respond to public health emergencies. Mays, who began August 1st at UK, graduated from Brown University in 1992, earned a doctorate and Master of Public Health in health policy and administration from UNC-Chapel Hill, and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School’s Department of Health Care Policy. Prior to joining UAMS in 2004, he was a senior health policy researcher at Mathematica Policy Research. “The College of Public Health is grateful to the many donors who established the professorship, which has provided the opportunity to bring someone of Dr. Mays’ caliber as a senior PHSSR researcher to the college,” said Stephen W. Wyatt, dean of the UK College of Public Health. Dr. F. Douglas Scutchfield is the Peter B. Bosomworth Professor of Health Services Research and Policy at UK. He also serves as the director of both the National Coordinating Center for Public Health Services and Systems Research and the Center of Excellence in Public Health Workforce Research and Policy. Scutchfield began as an assistant professor in the UK College of Medicine. He later served as the founding professor and director of the Graduate School of Public Health at San Diego State University. He returned to UK in 1997, where he was founding director of the School of Public Health. “It is indeed an honor to have the professorship established in my name,” Scutchfield said. “With his experience and reputation in PHSSR, Dr. Mays is the ideal initial incumbent to hold this professorship.” 7 Prevention | College of Public Health


Faculty Awards & Recognition Dr. Julia Costich, Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Health Services Management, College of Public Health has been elected to the board of directors for the Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA) for a term of 2011-14. AUPHA is a global network of colleges, universities, faculty, individuals, and organizations dedicated to improving health by promoting excellence in healthcare management education. It is the only non-profit entity of its kind that works to improve the delivery of health services - and thus the health of citizens - throughout the world by educating professional managers at the entry level. Dr. Robert McKnight, Professor and Chair of the Department of Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health, College of Public Health was selected as one of UK’s Provost Distinguished Service Professors. Dr. Pamela Teaster, Associate Professor, Director and Chair of the Graduate Center for Gerontology, College of Public Health was recognized as a Fellow of the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE) 2010-2011 for her achievement in gerontology/geriatric education/research.

STUDENT CORNER Public Health Graduates Selected for CDC Training Program Two doctoral program graduates from the University of Kentucky, College of Public Health were selected for the 2011 Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The EIS is a prestigious two-year post-doctorate training program that provides on-the-job training for health professionals interested in the practice of applied epidemiology. Dr. Charlotte Baker from Lawrenceville, Georgia and Dr. Keisha Houston from Detroit, Michigan were selected from a pool of over 500 applicants, for the 50 member class. Assignments may be with local, state or national public health organizations affiliated with CDC, or with organizations around the world with relationships with the federal agency. Baker’s research interests include sports injury epidemiology and applying research to solve real-life problems. As Baker searched for a school to pursue her doctorate, she Keisha Houston & Charlotte Baker said, “UK’s program was highly recommended on numerous occasions as having an applied public health focus. I also felt the small size of the college and the intensive work with the professors and the family atmosphere offered what I wanted.” Houston’s goal is to work in the area of chronic disease prevention and control, as a federal senior-level epidemiologist. “Ultimately, I would like to work with U.S. government policy-officials to promote and protect the public’s health as it pertains to chronic disease,” she said. Houston received her master’s degree at the UK College of Public Health and then worked at the Detroit Public Health Department as an epidemiologist with the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention and Control Program for three years and with the Bureau of Substance Abuse for two years. “I don’t think I could have picked a better school to receive my terminal degree,” Houston said. “I loved UK, the faculty and what the College of Public Health stood for. The faculty and staff at the College of Public Health are exemplary of true public health leaders, and the Doctor of Public Health curriculum and classroom training are designed to prepare students for public health leadership as well.” “Charlotte Baker and Keisha Houston are outstanding individuals who produce a first rate product for every task 8 Prevention | College of Public Health


they are assigned,” said Wayne Sanderson, professor and chair of the Department of Epidemiology at the UK College of Public Health. “I believe these young women will be great contributors to our field and valuable colleagues. The skills they will develop through the EIS fellowship will set them on the path towards greater accomplishments in the field of public health.” Dr. Stephen Wyatt, dean of the College of Public Health, who, like Sanderson, was a career Commissioned Officer at CDC prior to joining UK, said, “What a great opportunity for these two individuals. The EIS program is rich in history, having produced many national and international public health leaders over the years. It is a tremendous post-doctoral training experience. Charlotte and Keisha will benefit from the experiences and over their careers will value the opportunity. For the UK CPH to place two individuals in the 2011 cohort is simply amazing. We are so pleased that our graduates are viewed so well nationally.”

Fulbright Student at CDC for Summer Internship Dr. Mohammed Saeed, a second year Master of Public Health epidemiology student at the University of Kentucky College of Public Health, first learned about the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) when he was practicing medicine in Baghdad, Iraq. So intrigued by the scientific information they offered on antibiotics overuse and how to minimize it for common infections, he decided to pursue a fellowship with CDC to gain practical experience. Saeed, a Fulbright student, is currently working with the Immigrant, Refugee and Migrant Health Branch of the CDC, which is part of the Division of Global Migration and Quarantine in the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases. “Refugees are required to have medical examinations before they arrive in the United States, mainly to screen for infectious diseases such as tuberculosis which is the biggest concern, but also other diseases such as sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and to obtain medical history,” Saeed said. Saeed will be analyzing chronic disease data from the medical forms for Iraqi refugees. The results of Saeed’s work will be useful to the Immigrant, Refugee, and Migrant Health branch of the CDC, which is working on creating health profiles for refugee populations in the United States.

DrPH Student to serve on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Country and City Health Officials (NACCHO) DrPH student, Swannie Jett, Director of Bullitt County Health Department in Shepherdsville, KY, has been elected to the Board of Directors of the National Association of Country and City Health Officials (NACCHO) and has formally assumed these duties July 2011 at the Association’s annual meeting in Hartford, Connecticut.

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Class Notes Ayana R. Anderson, MPH, ‘07, is working as a public health analyst for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sister agency Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). Anna C. Barry, MPH, ‘09, capstone was published in Journal of Asthma - “Exposure to Indoor Biomass Fuel Pollutants and Asthma Prevalence in Southeastern Kentucky: Results From the Burden of Lung Disease (BOLD) Study.” Journal of Asthma, 47:735-741, 2010, Sara Freibert, MPH, ‘09, capstone was published in Journal of Women’s Health - “The Association of Adverse Pregnancy Events and Cardiovascular Disease in Women 50 Years of Age and Older.” Journal of Women’s Health, Volume 20, Number 2, 2011.

Let Us Know What’s Happening in Your Career & Life

We want to hear from you! Please send all class notes to Anthony Hartsfield at (859) 218-2096 or ahart2@email.uky.edu

Kathleen Heneghan, MPH, ‘09, was featured as a model in the Providence Style Week fashion show at the Biltmore in January 2011. As a heart ailment survivor/model, Katy says, “My experience helped me chose a career in public health and I continue to educate the public on prevention through volunteering with the American Heart Association and through my position at the Rhode Island Department of Health.” Ronald W. Holder, Jr., MHA, FACMPE, ‘09, was awarded Fellowship in the American College of Medical Practice Executives and was elected to the 2010-2011 MGMA Board of Directors. Naomi L. Hudson, DrPH, ‘10, capstone was published in J Community Health - “Tobacco Use: A Chronic Illness?” J Community Health (2010) 35:549-553. Heather A. Prentice, MPH, ‘09, capstone was published in Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease - “Significant Bronchodilator Responsiveness and “Reversibility” in a Population Sample.” COPD: Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, 7:323-330. Sheila Pressley, DrPH, ‘10, Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Health Science at Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) in Richmond, Kentucky. In 2010 she completed a one year program as a Fellow in the Environmental Public Health Leadership Institute (EPHLI) in which the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) selects Fellows from across the nation. Her most recent publication (2010) is a book entitled “Fundamentals of Environmental Health Practice.” Jennifer L. Redmond, Dr.PH, ‘10, Program Director for the Kentucky Cancer Consortium, which is Kentucky’s state comprehensive cancer control coalition. In this role, she facilitates large & small groups focused on planning, revising implementing and evaluating the Kentucky Cancer Action Plan. She was featured in Research to Reality Partner (National Cancer Institute).

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ALumni & DEVELOPMENT The College of Public Health had a record development year in dollars raised for FY 2010-11, $1.5 million dollars: •

Cervical Cancer-Free Kentucky received a second gift of $650,000 from GlaxoSmithKline;

The F. Douglas Scutchfield Endowed Professorship has grown to over $100,000 in pledges and gifts;

The John Sterling Wiggs Endowed Student Scholarship Fund has grown to over $160,000 in gifts;

The College annual phonathon received pledges & gifts of over $15,000 dollars.

Thank you to the faculty, staff, alumni and friends of the College for your support!

Upcoming events October 21, 2011 - UK College of Public Health Hall of Fame, Hyatt Regency, Lexington, KY October 17-22, 2011 - UK Homecoming Week, Lexington, KY October 31, 2011 - APHA 139th Annual Meeting & Exposition                                UK College of Public Health Alumni & Friends Reception, Renaissance Hotel, Washington, DC For further information, please contact Anthony Hartsfield, ahart2@email.com.

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A gift to the College of Public Health is a gift to make Kentucky, the nation and the world a healthier place to live. Your support is vital for us to educate and train the next generation of public health practitioners and leaders. For assistance with making a gift, please contact: Anthony Hartsfield Assistant Dean for Institutional Advancement Phone: 859-218-2028 e-mail: ahart2@email.com

Contributing Writers: Ann Blackford, Vikki Franklin, & Anthony Hartsfield 11 Prevention | College of Public Health


Nonprofit Org US Postage Paid Permit 51 Lexington, KY

121 Washington Avenue Lexington, KY 40536-0003 www.mc.uky.edu/publichealth

The College of Public Health Annual Hall of Fame Celebration Friday, October 21, 2011 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Hyatt Regency Lexington

2011 Hall of Fame Inductees James Cecil, DMD, MPH James Holsinger, M.D. David Lawrence, M.D. Lillian South, M.D. (Posthumous) Eula Spears, RN, BSN, MS.Ed

For information call (859) 218-2096 or e-mail: Andrea.Perkins@uky.edu


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