City nets $2 million grant for naloxone distribution

Dr. Kraig Humbaugh joined Mayor Jim Gray, Commissioner of Social Services Chris Ford, and Sheriff Kathy Witt this morning as the City of Lexington received a $2 million federal grant to be used over four years to primarily fund naloxone kits to be distributed by the health department. Naloxone is used to reverse overdoses from opioids, including heroin. The city will also hire an overdose prevention coordinator to get people who have overdosed into treatment, Gray announced.

Learn more about the grant here!

You can also watch the entire press conference: Mayor Gray’s Facebook Live stream.

 

 

 

Get your flu shot … or walk the plank!

Sept. 19 was National Talk Like a Pirate Day (and yes, there really is a day for everything!), and we used the trending social media topic to promote our upcoming free flu shot clinic! You can watch the video below, and it’s also on our Facebook page for anyone who wants to share it.

A very special thanks to Laura Foley and Cristina Hiten, who eagerly agreed to take part in the video! Remember, if you’re interested in being used in future LFCHD promotional videos, please contact Bailey Preston or Kevin Hall to let them know!

 

LFCHD provides hep A shots at Chrysalis House

We held an information session on hepatitis A, including providing vaccination, for clients and staff at the Chrysalis House. “We got our vaccinations!” the agency posted on Facebook. “It does not hurt. They will come to you. Thank you!”

Pictured below are Jill Keys, Karen Cecil, Ruth Stevenson, Tommi Marquardt, Deanna Bond, Debra Rickerd, Candy Medina and Dr. Kraig Humbaugh.

3 LFCHD nurses take part in Hurricane Florence relief

Three LFCHD public health nurses are now in North Carolina as part of a Kentucky response to Hurricane Florence. Stephanie Carpenter, Chris Smith and Heather Toews will be providing medical assistance to those in need after the hurricane hit the east coast over the last week.

You can learn more in this Facebook video (and please excuse the flipped image for the first few minutes; it rights itself later on and makes it easier to catch all the great information from our team)!

Needle-exchange program celebrates 3rd anniversary

Three years ago today we opened our needle-exchange program. On that Sept. 4, nine people walked through the doors to turn in used needles for new needles in an effort to fight the spread of hepatitis C and HIV. We’ve grown quite a bit:

• expanding into a larger area in the Dr. Rice C. Leach Community Room at our main building at 650 Newtown Pike;
• adding a new day and hours (3-6 p.m. Wednesday and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday);
• providing on-site referrals to recovery centers through Lexington’s Department of Social Services, Chrysalis House and Bluegrass.org;
• offering free Narcan (from grants through the University of Kentucky College of Public Health and DrugFree Lex) to reverse opioid overdoses (available 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Friday).

Through our program, we’ve served more than 2,880 people and taken in more than 532,000 used needles, keeping them out of our community’s parks, playgrounds and streets and protecting you from hepatitis C and HIV! We’ve also had 138 people enter recovery programs, giving them a new chance at a sober life!

Thanks to everyone who has helped support our needle-exchange program the last three years! We look forward to its continued growth and success in helping Lexington be well!

Welcome new employees!

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

Brittney L. Ramey
Nurse Specialist, part-time