UK Celebrates National Public Health Week

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 4, 2022) — Public health has been at the forefront of our collective minds since March of 2020. As a nation, many now have a better understanding of the field and a deepened respect for those who work in it. However, there is always room to learn more. National Public Health Week (NPHW) runs today, April 4 until Sunday, April 10.

“The nature of public health is that the work is usually done by silent heroes, quietly making a positive impact in the background of everyday life,” said Jillian Faith, senior alumni coordinator at the University of Kentucky College of Public Health and organizer of NPHW on campus. “NPHW is a time to call attention to the bring those heroes to the light and celebrate the great work that public health does every day.”

For years, public health week has been celebrated nationally during the month of April. This year, the UK College of Public Health has one main goal – to bring public health heroes out of the background and into the spotlight. The 2022 theme is “Public Health is Where You Are,” to help the campus community better understand that public health is part of all our daily lives.

“The theme this year focuses on the impact of community and the idea that everyone has a role to play in the health of their community,” said Faith. “We also wanted to focus on health equity and continue to shed light on the fact that different communities experience health and healthcare differently.”

This week, there are multiple events open to all students, faculty, staff and community members. These virtual and in-person events will allow attendees to explore the role of strong communities on physical and mental health. Below are highlights for National Public Health Week. For more information on National Public Health Week, including the UK College of Public Health’s full list of events, visit https://cph.uky.edu/nphw.

Monday, April 4, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Location: UK College of Public Health Building, room 115.

• Meet and Greet with Janie Cambron, associate dean for practice and workforce development and alumni
  • Network with Public Health alumni working at the University of Kentucky
  • Lunch provided

Tuesday, April 5, 5-6 p.m. 

• Get Hired After Graduation Webinar (virtual)
  • This panel, in partnership with the American Public Health Association's Student Assembly, will feature a dynamic group of young professionals who navigated the pandemic to secure their public health roles.
  • Registration required. Please register here.

Wednesday, April 6, 10 a.m.-noon Location: UK College of Public Health Building, room 115

• Service Project: Hope Mobile
  • Homelessness is a public health issue in Lexington. Join the CPH community in assembling sack lunches for the HopeMobile, a custom motor home that distributes lunches to the city's most vulnerable populations. "Public health is where you are" t-shirts available for all participants.
  • Drop-ins are welcome.

Thursday, April 7, 6-7:30 p.m. Location: UK Gatton Student Center, room 330A-B

• “Health for All Y’all” Health Equity Panel
  • Racism, stigma, and discrimination are setbacks to our health and create conditions that unfairly disadvantage certain communities while unfairly advancing others. This panel of public health leaders will discuss health equity and social determinants of health through a variety of lenses and will shed light on what can be done to improve the health of all Kentuckians. Panelists are: 
    • Vivian Lasley-Bibbs, acting director for the Kentucky Department for Public Health; Epidemiologist in the Office of Health Equity
    • Meredith Duncan, Ph.D., assistant professor, UK College of Public Health, Department of Biostatistics
    • Sarah Marks, M.D., physician, UK Transform Health 
    • Ariel Arthur, Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator, UK Center for Health Equity Transformation
    • Nathaniel Hopkins, Ph.D.,  senior staff psychologist, coordinator for Information and Systems, UK Counseling Center
  • Dinner will be provided.
  • Registration required. Please register here.

Friday, April 8, 1:30-2:30 p.m. Location: UK College of Public Health Building, room 115

• Art Therapy and Mental Health Session with the UK Integrative Medicine & Health program.
  • Mental health is a critical component of public health and is the key to healthy communities. Art therapy can be used to help people improve cognitive and sensory motor function, self-esteem, self-awareness and emotional resilience. It may also aid in resolving conflicts and reducing distress. Join us for an informative and creative hour as we explore art therapy methods with UK Integrative Medicine & Health. Art and therapy can help alleviate some of the symptoms associated with depression, anxiety and trauma.
  • Registration required. Please register here.

“Public health is about prevention and proactively creating mechanisms that build a healthier world for everyone,” said Faith. “It is community-driven by nature and National Public Health Week is a great opportunity to invite the community into the conversation.”