It is time to nominate people for the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department’s Dr. Rice C. Leach Public Health Hero Award. The award, now in its 18th year, is for individuals who have demonstrated their dedication to improving the health of Lexington residents.

Criteria for the selection of the award include:

• Exemplary leadership and diligence in promoting public health;
• Remarkable contributions and support in fostering public health programs; and
• Work or actions that have impacted the community’s health in a positive way.

The Lexington-Fayette County Board of Health renamed the award in 2016 in honor of the late Dr. Rice C. Leach “so future generations will know what a true public health super hero is.” Leach, who served as Lexington’s Commissioner of Health for five years, died in April 2016 following a battle with cancer.

Past winners include Jon Parker (2020), Mark Johnson (2019), Dr. Svetla Slavova (2018), Kentucky State Sen. Reginald Thomas (2017), Dr. Leach (2016), 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-Booth 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.

If you know of someone to nominate for this award, please provide the following information:

• Name, professional title and organization;
• Phone number and e-mail address of nominee; and
• Examples of why the person is worthy of the award. Descriptions should be no more than 200 words.
• Your name and contact information

Nominations can be submitted here: https://www.lfchd.org/public-health-hero-award-nomination.

The deadline for submitting candidates is 3 p.m., Friday, Feb.26.

The Lexington-Fayette County Board of Health will make the final determination. The winner will receive special recognition from the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government. The awards are given each April as part of National Public Health Week.

We will have special hours starting Dec. 21 because of the holidays.

Public Health Clinic

Our Public Health Clinic will be open the following times the weeks of Dec. 21-25 and Dec. 28-Jan. 1.

• 8 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. Monday
• 8 a.m.- 7 p.m. Tuesday
• 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Wednesday
• CLOSED Thursday/Friday.

Holiday hours for other public health services will be posted later.

Other Services, Including COVID-19 Response

Dec. 24-25

To allow our employees to enjoy the holiday (and just the second break since the pandemic began!), we will be closed Dec. 25. This includes our COVID-19 response team, meaning new positive cases will not be contacted until Dec. 26. Cases will also not be released from isolation orders on Dec. 25. The COVID-19 response team returns to work Dec. 26. Our website, lfchd.org, will not have numbers updated Dec. 25 but will return to updates Dec. 26.

Dec. 31-Jan. 1

To allow our employees to enjoy the holiday, we will be closed Jan. 1. This includes our COVID-19 response team, meaning new positive cases will not be contacted until Jan. 2. Cases will also not be released from isolation orders on Jan. 1. The COVID-19 response team returns to work Jan. 2. Our website, lfchd.org, will not have numbers updated Jan. 1 but will return to updates Jan. 2.

All other public health services will be closed Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 and will return to regular hours Jan. 4.

Commissioner of Health Dr. Kraig Humbaugh announced his plans to step down from his position as leader of the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department next summer.

“It’s been an honor to be working with a world-class team of public health professionals who continue to face every challenge head-on,” Dr. Humbaugh said. “Every day, and not just in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, these folks embody the standard for excellence in public health.”

Making the announcement now gives the Lexington-Fayette County Board of Health time to select a search firm to find qualified candidates to fill the position.

Dr. Humbaugh, who has been with LFCHD since June 2016, said he has enjoyed working with the health department team and with many partners throughout the community to fulfil the agency’s mission of helping Lexington be well, even during these challenging times.

“I’m hopeful that by the summer of 2021, we as a community will be in a much better place in terms of the pandemic,” he said. “Let’s all continue to work together to help make that a reality. The COVID-19 vaccines that are on the horizon have the potential to be a game-changer by bringing us protection against the virus.”

(Haga clic aquí para el español.)

The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department is giving you the chance to fight the flu for free while maintaining safety precautions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Starting Monday, Oct. 5, flu shots will also be available for free all season by appointment only at LFCHD’s Public Health Clinic, 650 Newtown Pike. Please call 859-288-2444 to make an appointment, starting Oct. 5; walk-ins will not be accepted due to requirements to maintain physical distancing in the clinic.

“An annual flu shot is the best way to fight the flu each fall and winter,” LFCHD spokesperson Kevin Hall said. “The flu shot is especially important this season as we remain in the COVID-19 pandemic. It can help reduce the overall impact on respiratory illnesses on the population, which will lessen the burden on our healthcare system during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Last flu season, Lexington had 3 deaths from flu-related causes and 742 lab-confirmed cases.

In addition to helping prevent you from getting sick with flu, a flu shot can reduce the severity of your illness if you do get flu and reduce your risk of a flu-associated hospitalization.

The seasonal flu shot is recommended for all people ages 6 months and older and is especially important for people at the highest risk of serious complications from the flu: infants and young children, pregnant women, anyone with underlying medical conditions and adults 50 and older. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the CDC is also urging the flu shot for essential workers, including healthcare personnel and long-term care facility staff; and people at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19, including adults 65 and older, residents of long-term care facilities and anyone with underlying health conditions.

For additional information about the 2020-21 flu season, 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. For questions about the flu shot, call the Public Health Clinic at 859-288-2444.

Jan. 27, 2021 update:

The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department will stop its COVID-19 at-home testing program on Saturday, Jan. 30, to allow staff to increase efforts in other areas of the response, including vaccine administration.

Since launching in April 2020, more than 2,000 Lexington residents used the at-home testing program, which was created to provide tests for those who had barriers getting to other testing locations in the city. Testing has since become more widely accessible throughout Lexington.

Testing remains important during the COVID-19 response, so please use the following links from the City of Lexington and Kentucky Department for Public Health to learn about more options available in the community:

• https://www.lexingtonky.gov/COVID-19/Drive-Thru-Testing
• https://govstatus.egov.com/ky-covid-testing

For more information on COVID-19, please visit lfchd.org or call our call center at 859-899-2222.

Original information

If you live in Lexington and do not have a way to get to a COVID-19 testing site, we can bring a test to you. Call 859-899-2222 for help 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday for help.

Si vive en Lexington y no puede llegar a un sitio de pruebas de COVID-19, podemos traerle un kit de pruebas a usted. Llame al 859-899-2222, lunes a viernes de 8:30 a.m. a 4 p.m. para obtener ayuda.

On Sept. 4, 2015, we opened the doors to the first day of our needle-exchange program. The goal then was to start small, build trust and then grow as needed.

And it has definitely grown!

It’s now a larger Harm Reduction Services Program, featuring a needle exchange to reduce the spread of hepatitis C and HIV; testing for hepatitis C and HIV; free naloxone used to reverse opioid overdoses; and on-site counseling to connect people to rehabilitation and treatment centers.

Join us in celebrating this milestone online with a special Facebook Live at 1:30 p.m. Aug. 26, featuring chats with our dedicated staff and a look behind the scenes at how the program started and grew into what it is today! You can also learn more on our Facebook Event page!

Harm Reduction Program Hours of Operation
Our free, anonymous/confidential harm reduction services are offered 1-4 p.m. Mondays, 3-6:30 p.m. Wednesdays and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Fridays. To help protect our participants and employees, we are following social/physical distancing guidelines, including operating outside and using our new van for the exchange! We also provide naloxone to reverse opioid overdoses, offer free HIV and hepatitis C testing and provide counseling for treatment options.

Updated Sept. 8

English & en español:
COVID-19 continues to spread in Lexington, with cases disproportionately affecting the city’s African-American and Hispanic populations.

The City of Lexington and the Lexington Division of Emergency Management are providing free COVID-19 testing. Check here for more sites/information: COVID-19 testing. Limited at-home testing is also available: At-Home Testing for Lexington.

Drive-ups and walk-ups will be accepted. No appointment is necessary. Testers will ask for insurance, but testing is free, even without insurance.

For more information, call the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department’s COVID-19 hotline at 859-899-2222.

El COVID-19 continúa extendiéndose en Lexington, con un aumento desproporcionado de casos entre la población afroamericana e hispana de la ciudad. 

Más tarde esta semana, la Ciudad de Lexington y la División de Manejo de Emergencias de Lexington estarán proveyendo pruebas gratuitas de COVID-19.

Personas en autos o a pie serán aceptadas. No hace falta cita. Se le preguntará si tiene seguro médico, pero las pruebas son gratuitas, incluso sin seguro médico. Para más información, llame al centro de llamadas para el COVID-19 del Departamento de Salud de Lexington-Condado de Fayette al 859-899-2222.

On July 9, 2020, Gov. Andy Beshear signed an executive order mandating the wearing of face coverings in situations described here: COVID-19 Face Coverings FAQs. The order went into effect at 5 p.m. on July 10, 2020. It is essential that people continue to practice physical distancing and good hand hygiene even when wearing a face covering — including keeping 6 feet of distance between themselves and others whenever possible. A face covering is one more precaution we can take to help stop the spread of COVID-19, especially by people who have COVID-19 but do not have symptoms.

Be sure to check out the Frequently Asked Questions!

Never leave children unattended in vehicles, especially during hot weather.

Kids play in cars or wander outside and get into a car and can die in 10 minutes! A reported 51 young children died in hot cars in 2019, according to weather.gov/heat! Cars can heat up quickly when left in the sun. Get resources to remind you or friends with children in both English and Spanish from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Several measures are recommended to prevent these types of deaths from occurring. They include:

• Create reminders.  More than half of child heat stroke deaths occur because parents and caregivers become distracted and exit their vehicle without their child. To help prevent these tragedies parents can:
• Place a cell phone, purse, briefcase, gym bag or something that is needed at your next stop on the floor in front of a child in a backseat. This will help you see your child when you open the rear door and reach for your belongings.
• Set the alarm on your cell phone as a reminder to you to drop your child off at day care.
• Set your computer calendar program to ask, “Did you drop off at day care today?”
• Establish a plan with your day care that if your child fails to arrive within an agreed upon time, you will be called. Be especially mindful of your child if you change your routine for day care.
• Don’t underestimate the risk.  The inside of vehicles can quickly heat up, even on relatively cool days, so you should never leave your child alone in a car. Don’t underestimate the risks and leave them even “just for a minute.”
• Lock cars and trucks. Thirty percent of the recorded heat stroke deaths in the U.S. occur because a child was playing in an unattended vehicle. These deaths can be prevented by simply locking the vehicle doors to help assure that kids don’t enter the vehicles and become trapped.
• Immediately dial 911 if you see an unattended child in a car.  EMS professionals are trained to determine if a child is in trouble. The body temperature of children rises three to five times faster than adults. As a result, children are much more vulnerable to heat stroke. Check vehicles and trunks first if a child is missing.

Additional tips are recommended to avoid other heat-related injury and illness:

• Drink plenty of fluids. Increase your normal fluid intake regardless of your activity level. You will need to drink more fluids than your thirst level indicates. This is especially true for people age 65 or older who often have a decreased ability to respond to external temperature changes. In addition, avoid drinking beverages containing alcohol, because they will actually cause you to lose more fluid.
• Wear appropriate clothing and sunscreen. Choose lightweight, light colored, loose fitting clothing. In the hot sun, wear a wide-brimmed hat that will provide shade and keep the head cool. Sunscreen should be SPF 15 or greater and applied 30 minutes before going out into the sun.
• Stay cool indoors. The most efficient way to beat the heat is to stay in an air-conditioned area. If you do not have an air conditioner, consider visiting a mall or public library.
• Schedule outdoor activities carefully. If you must be out in the heat, try to plan your activities so that you are outdoors either before noon or in the evening. Rest periodically so your body’s thermostat will have a chance to recover.
• Use a buddy system. When working in the heat, monitor the condition of your co-workers and have someone do the same for you. Heat-induced illness can cause a person to become confused or lose consciousness.
• Monitor those at high risk. Those at greatest risk of heat-related illness include:
  • Infants and children up to 4 years of age
  • People 65 years of age or older
  • People who are overweight
  • People who overexert during work or exercise
  • People who are ill or on certain medications for blood pressure or diuretics.

The Lexington-Fayette County Board of Health elected Michael Friesen as chair for the 2020-21 fiscal year, which began July 1.

Friesen is a vice president at Traditional Bank in Lexington with 15 years of commercial banking experience. He is a native of Lexington and graduated from Henry Clay High School. Friesen has an MBA from the University of Kentucky and BSBA-Finance from the University of Richmond. He is the father of three children.

Friesen joined the Board of Health in November 2016 and has served as chair of the Finance Committee the last three years. He was the Board of Health’s vice-chair last year.

Friesen replaces Kacy Allen-Bryant, who will continue to serve on the Board of Health.

Jason Zimmerman, MD, MSPH, will serve as vice-chair for 2020-21. Other Board of Health members include: Jack Cornett, Dr. Lee Dossett, Mayor Linda Gorton, Majd Jabbour, Dr. Rodney Jackson, Dr. Lindsey Jasinksi, Dr. Mamata Majmundar, Leah Mason, Councilmember Jennifer Reynolds and Sherelle Roberts-Pierre. Commissioner of Social Services Chris Ford is an official representative of the mayor but is a non-voting member.

The Board of Health meets the second Monday of every month at 5:45 p.m. at the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department, 650 Newtown Pike.

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. Details are also available at www.lfchd.org.