Elder Care Leader Named UK Public Health Outstanding Alumnus

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 18, 2016) — University of Kentucky College of Public Health alumnus Keith Knapp, a transformative leader who has improved standards of care for Kentucky’s older and disabled population, will receive the third Outstanding Alumni Award from the UK College of Public Health on Feb. 19.

The former chief executive of the Episcopal Church Home of Kentucky, Knapp became a student in the UK College of Public Health as an already established leader of Kentucky’s long-term health care industry. After graduating with his doctorate from the Graduate Center for Gerontology in 2005, Knapp applied his academic training to bring innovative models of elder care to the region.

In 2009, Knapp was appointed chief executive officer of Christian Care Communities, the largest nonprofit elder care organization in the state. In this role, he led the design and development of multiple elder care facility projects, including Bridgepointe at Ashgrove Woods, which houses the Helping Hands respite center for Alzheimer’s care, and The Homeplace at Midway, the first Green House senior living community in Kentucky.

Knapp served as a member of Gov. Steve Beshear’s Institute for Aging, advising and supporting program and policy development aimed at improving elder care at the state level. Knapp continues to serve in an instrumental role in the UK College of Public Health as an advisor to graduate students and lecturer.

The UK College of Public Health Outstanding Alumni Award recognizes an alumnus who has contributed to public health leadership at the local, regional or national level.

MEDIA CONTACT: Elizabeth Adams, elizabethadams@uky.edu