NEWS AND EVENTS

Health in the News

In 2017, the Foundation continued its efforts to increase media coverage of health topics by providing funding to public radio, public television, and an institute devoted to increasing health-related stories in Kentucky’s rural newspapers. The Foundation does not control the news content of these outlets. Our 2017 grantees were Louisville Public Media, KET,

the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues and Public News Service. Meanwhile, the Foundation’s own media relations efforts increased the number of media stories about the

Foundation by 300 percent over 2016. See a selection of our media coverage here, and be sure to sign up for our e-newsletter, Foundation News, distributed Thursday afternoons.

Howard L. Bost Memorial Health Policy Forum

The 2017 Howard L. Bost Health Policy Forum featured as keynote speaker the well-known author and journalist Sam Quinones, whose book chronicles the rise of prescription opioid abuse and subsequent heroin addiction epidemic across suburban and rural America. Quinones shared his perspective that building community is critical to ending Kentucky’s drug use epidemic.

The 15th annual forum offered several breakout sessions focused on the state of addiction in

Kentucky, policy as a tool for solving the crisis, prevention and intervention. Other speakers included Judge Amul Thapar of the U.S. 6th Circuit Court, Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet Secretary John Tilley, Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy Director Van Ingram, and Metropolitan State College of Denver Professor Harvey Milkman. Videos of several of the presentations, including Quinones’ address, are available here.

The largest crowd ever, more than 350 people, gathered to learn and discuss more about the topic at the Forum, which is named after former Foundation Board member, Dr. Howard L. Bost. The forum is underwritten by the Foundation, and was sponsored in 2017 by Gilead Sciences, making it possible for the largest number possible of public health advocates and officials to learn and network every year.

DATA! Forum 2017 Drew Capacity Audience

Keynote speaker Aaron Truchil shared the work of the Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers who are working on citywide health challenges by integrating the city’s public data systems – including

health, education, and social services data – to better understand those

challenges and improve healthcare delivery. Kentucky and Ohio Medicaid Directors, Dr. Gil Liu and Director Barbara Sears, respectively, discussed using data to address the opioid crisis and reduce health care expenditures. Dr. Liu also serves as the Chair of Urban Health Policy Research at the University of Louisville School of Medicine. Mayor Brandi Harless of Paducah and Mayor Rick Skinner of Willamstown outlined their vision of improving health in their communities. Researcher Joshua Poe looked historically at the creation of health problems in Louisville by examining city maps.

Data! Forum is presented jointly every other year by the Foundation and Interact for Health, with supporting sponsor HealthLandscape. Presentations from DATA! Forum 2017 “Fostering Health Innovation in Kentucky and Ohio,” are available here.