The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department’s Board of Health selected Kentucky State Sen. Reginald Thomas as the 2017 Dr. Rice C. Leach Public Health Hero. The award is given annually to individuals who have demonstrated their dedication to improving the health of Lexington residents. The winner is announced each April as part of National Public Health Week (April 3-9, 2017).

Thomas, who represents part of Fayette County in the state senate, is a public health advocate through his actions statewide, including co-sponsoring legislation to teach high school students CPR, supporting rights of breastfeeding mothers and protecting children and adults against abuse, neglect and exploitation. He has supported bills offering better services for autistic individuals, gaining rights for child care centers to administer epinephrine injections for allergic reactions and removing barriers to colorectal screenings.

Thomas has also worked closely with the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department for information to help shape statutes and regulations to improve the health and well-being of Kentuckians.

He is an active community member in Lexington, serving or having served on the boards of the Lexington Actors Guild, the Lexington Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Kentucky Conference of Community and Justice, Bluegrass Community and Technical College and Commerce Lexington. He is a graduate of Bryan Station High School, Dartmouth College and Harvard Law School. He and his late wife Lynda have three children and one granddaughter.

Thomas “is a selfless advocate of protecting and prospering the health and well-being for all members of Lexington and Fayette County,” states the award nomination. “He is a true champion for public health.”

Thomas will be recognized at the April 27 Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council meeting. He will also be honored at the May 8 Board of Health meeting held at 5:45 p.m. at the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department, 650 Newtown Pike.

Previously known as the Public Health Hero Award, the Board of Health renamed the award in 2016 in memory of the late Dr. Rice C. Leach, Lexington’s former Commissioner of Health who spent more than 50 years as a public health physician. Leach died April 1, 2016.

Past winners include Dr. Susan Pollack and Marian F. Guinn (2015), the Rev. Willis Polk and baby Health Service (2014), Anita Courtney and Teens Against Tobacco Use (2013); Vickie Blevins and Jay McChord (2012); Jill Chenault-Wilson and Dr. Malkanthie McCormick (2011); Dr. Jay Perman (2010); the Lexington Lions Club (2009); Dr. David Stevens and the late Dr. Doane Fischer (2008); Dr. Ellen Hahn, Mary Alice Pratt and Therese Moseley (2007); Dr. Andrew Moore and Rosa Martin (2006); Jan Brucato and Dragana Zaimovic (2005); and Dr. John Michael Moore, Ellen Parks and Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government (2004). Dr. Robert Lam received a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007.

For additional information, like the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LFCHD, or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/LFCHD and Instagram at @lexpublichealth.

Be sure to listen to our Healthy Times radio interview with Reggie Thomas to hear more from the 2017 Dr. Rice C. Leach Public Health Hero!

This summer, the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department plans to control mosquito populations in the community by bringing increased focus to eliminating standing water and preventing mosquito larvae from hatching. At the same time, the department will use mosquito trapping to identify areas where spraying for adult mosquitos would be most useful.

The health department has surveyed Lexington neighborhoods to identify and treat large areas of standing water that can serve as prime locations for mosquitoes to lay their eggs. Elimination of standing water is the ultimate goal, but in places where puddles exist, the water can be treated to kill mosquito larvae with a chemical called a larvicide.

“We are increasing activities to kill mosquito larvae in areas where standing water cannot be drained,” said Luke Mathis, Environmental Health and Preparedness team leader at LFCHD.  “Targeting immature mosquitoes is a more effective control strategy as it stops mosquitoes from developing into adults that can feed on humans and transmit mosquito-borne diseases like Zika and West Nile.”

The health department will no longer conduct routine mosquito spraying for adult mosquitoes throughout the city on a regular cycle. Instead, mosquito traps will be placed in potential problem areas. If a certain threshold of mosquito activity is reached, the department will conduct targeted spraying in the appropriate areas. Those areas will be announced via the health department’s website, www.lexingtonhealthdepartment.org, and social media pages.

For spraying, the health department uses Duet, an EPA-approved agent that features a component that stimulates resting mosquitoes in trees and foliage, causing them to fly into the air and come into contact with the spray’s mosquito-killing agent, sumithrin. Duet has been rigorously tested for human and animal safety and is registered for outdoor residential and recreational areas.

Lexington residents can also take steps at home to fight mosquitoes:

● Mosquito-proof your home and yard. Fix or install window and door screens. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water. Cover or eliminate empty containers with standing water. Limit the number of places around your home for mosquitoes to breed by getting rid of items such as tires, buckets, barrels and cans. Refresh the water in your pet’s water dishes and birdbaths at least every five to seven days.

● Be aware of peak mosquito activity times. The twilight hours around dusk and dawn are times of peak mosquito activity. Use insect repellent when outdoors especially during peak activity times, including early morning hours. Look for EPA-labeled repellents containing active ingredients, such as DEET, Picaridin (KBR3023) or oil of lemon eucalyptus (p-menthane 3,8-diol). Apply repellent according to label instructions. When weather permits, wear long sleeves, long pants and socks outdoors. Mosquitoes can bite through thin clothing, so spraying clothes with repellent containing permethrin or another EPA-registered repellent helps prevent bites.

“The battle against mosquitoes starts at every residence in Fayette County,” Mathis said. “By eliminating standing water, even something as small a capful of rain in your yard, you can remove areas for mosquitoes to lay eggs. It’s important for people to walk around their homes to see what they can do to help curb the mosquito population.”

To report a standing water problem in your neighborhood, please call the health department’s Environmental Health section at (859) 231-9791. For additional information, like the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LFCHD, or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/LFCHD and Instagram at @lexpublichealth.

This is an archived post and the hours are no longer valid. Please visit www.lfchd.org/harmreduction for updated hours/information. 

The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department’s needle-exchange program is expanding hours to 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Fridays at 650 Newtown Pike in the Dr. Rice C. Leach Community Room. The free, anonymous and confidential program is designed to reduce the spread of HIV and hepatitis in Lexington. Used needles must be brought in to receive clean needles. Click here to find out more about the program.

In addition to free needles, the program will offer testing for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, educational materials and a safe disposal of dirty needles. Referrals and counseling can be made available for those who test positive for HIV or who are seeking drug treatment or other health and social services. On-site treatment referrals to rehabilitation is available from 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department’s gave 345 rabies shots at its annual Rabies Vaccination Clinic held May 18 at Valley Park, 2077 Cambridge Drive.

Rabies, a viral disease of humans, pets and wild animals, is transmitted from animals to humans by the saliva of a rabid animal, usually from a bite.

Rabies vaccinations typically cost about $20, making this clinic a great value to pet owners. “A rabies shots gives protection to the pet as well as its owner and the other people of Lexington, said Luke Mathis, LFCHD Environmental Health team leader and one of the event’s organizers. “We’re pleased to provide this useful public health service as we help Lexington be well.”

State law requires that all dogs, cats and ferrets maintain a current rabies vaccination. The health department gave 313 rabies shots during the May 2016 clinic. The LFCHD Rabies Control Program received 711 animal bite reports last year, with LFCHD staff making sure each animal was up to date on all rabies vaccination shots.

Lexington-Fayette Animal Care and Control, the Lexington Humane Society, the Lexington-Fayette County Division of Parks and Recreation Department and the Cardinal Valley Park Activity Board also sponsored the clinic.