Welcome new employees!

Please take a moment to welcome the newest employees of the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department.

Heather L. Watson
Clinical Services Representative (WIC)

Daniela Davidenko
Clinical Services Representative (WIC)

LFCHD launches Healthy Times radio show on 95.7 FM

Lexington’s newest radio station has two new voices.

Bailey Preston and Kevin Hall host “Healthy Times,” the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department’s new program on WLXL, 95.7 FM, Lexington Community Radio. The station has an emphasis on public safety and “will provide vital emergency broadcasts during severe weather occurrences, community emergencies and other potential/real man-made or natural disasters,” according to its website.

The “Healthy Times” program will allow Preston and Hall to talk directly to Lexington residents about Public Health issues. This will include services and programs offered at the health department, as well as state, regional and national health headlines.

Dr. Rice Leach served as the program’s first guest, covering 40 minutes of his thoughts and views on Lexington’s health and the future role of Public Health in the city.

“Our program will be a conversational interview,” Hall said. “We want LFCHD staff to feel comfortable answering questions, so we’ll be working with them to find out what they want listeners to know. Once we get behind the microphones, it will be a relaxed conversation between 2-3 people, and we’ll be inviting Lexington to listen.”

The program airs at 10 a.m. every other Wednesday on 95.7 FM. For those who missed it the first time, the debut episode will re-air Feb. 24. If you’re interested in being a guest on the show, please contact Preston or Hall to discuss ideas.

Ad campaign starts for thirdhand smoke awareness

Those of you who watched Sunday’s Grammy Awards might have seen a local broadcast of an ad campaign launched by our tobacco program: Now We Know!

We also have two additional ads that will run in Lexington and as Public Service Announcements (PSAs) on school and governmental channels. We’ve also placed them on the LFCHD website and shared them via social media: Who’s Picking Up Your Child and Research Proves.

These are part of a larger campaign Angela Brumley-Shelton and Tara Mason have been working on over the past year as they continue educating Lexington about the dangers of smoking, secondhand smoke and thirdhand smoke. You can learn more by visiting our website.

Safety Committee: Keep warm, but do it safely!

The following is shared on behalf of the Safety Committee:

During the winter, it is common for some areas of the building to be cooler as our HVAC units work harder to heat the building. Some staff choose to utilize space heaters to help keep their work areas warm and fans to circulate the air. Now is a good time to remind folks to use these devices safely.

According to consumerreports.org, space heaters cause an estimated 21,000 fires per year! Follow the tips below when choosing a space heater to decrease the chances of fire or malfunction:

• Look for a safety certification label such as UL, ETL or CSA
• Check power cords for cracks, fraying, loose connections or broken plugs
• Never use on uneven surfaces or on tables
• Always unplug at the end of the day or when space heater or fan is not in use!
• Furthermore, Lexington-Fayette County Health Department has a HVAC policy that staff should be familiar with, especially if they choose to use a space heater/fan. The policy can be found here: HVAC policy.

Any employee using a space heater/fan must sign the “Space Heater Agreement Form” located on the Intranet under Safety>Safety Forms and return the form to Bill Cooper by Friday, Feb. 26. Any employee who is non-compliant with these rules will be asked to remove the heater immediately.

Keep warm, but do it safely!

Please contact a member of the Safety Committee if you have any questions: Doraine Bailey (chair), Carla Basanta, Yvonne Beatty, Russell Cantrell, Karen Cecil, Bill Cooper, Jack Cornett, Lindsay Earlywine, Sara Gabbard, Jeanette Hart, Alyson Lane, Tara Mason, Estephany Romero and Rebekah Shoopman.

Valentine’s Day carnations get delivered

Thanks to the Employee Association, LFCHD employees had carnations delivered Friday morning as part of an annual Valentine’s Day fundraiser. Almost 500 carnations were purchased and delivered, including Dr. Leach’s special delivery of the flowers to every staff member.

Note: click on a picture to see a larger version.

A sweet day: EA holds special Valentine’s dessert day

The Employee Association hosted a Valentine’s Day dessert potluck Thursday, giving LFCHD staff the chance to sample various sweets while mingling with co-workers. Shannon Cropper and Karen Cecil each won $25 Malone’s gift cards for submitting desserts for the event.

The following won prizes from the raffle:
• Darin Swartz, Amazon gift card
• Dianne Evans, Walmart gift card
• Karen Cecil, Fleet Doc oil change and tire rotation
• Jeanette Hart, Connemara Golf Course bundle
• Ralph McCracken, ladies’ Valentine’s basket

Thanks to the Employee Association for organizing and hosting the event!
Note: Click on an image to see a larger version.

CHEE hosts baby shower for Smith

CHEE recently hosted a baby shower for Melissa and Jonathan Smith, whose twin sons Ethan and Elias were born Dec. 13, 2015.

An open invitation to all employees was given for the shower and luncheon. Various employees from all departments brought delicious dishes and desserts. Melissa received many nice gifts and gift cards.

The shower was organized by Tara Mason, Nancy Hiner and Carol Hisle.