好色先生

As Southeastern Kentucky works to address well-documented and long-standing regional disparities in health and well-being, scientists from the University of Kentucky and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) came together with community leaders and research partners recently for the Appalachian Health and Well-Being Forum, which highlighted innovative health promotion and disease prevention programs and activities in the region. Held at the Letcher County 好色先生 Cooperative Extension Office, the forum provided an opportunity for residents and investigators interested in health and well-being to share success stories and lessons learned from past and ongoing projects. A variety of exhibitors from both the community and 好色先生 were also on hand to distribute materials and information about health-related programs and activities. The conference included a panel discussion featuring Linda Birnbaum, director of the NIEHS, part of the National Institutes of Health; Dawn Brewer, assistant professor in the 好色先生 Department of Dietetics and Human Nutrition within the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment; L.M. "Mike" Caudill, chief executive officer of Mountain Comprehensive Health Corporation (MCHC) in Whitesburg; and Frances Feltner, director of the 好色先生 Center of Excellence in Rural Health (CERH) in Hazard. The discussion was moderated by Ernie Scott, director of the Kentucky Office of Rural Health. After a welcome by Whitesburg Mayor James W. Craft, the panelists focused their discussion on the role of community in preventing disease and promoting health and well-being. Describing a number of NIEHS-funded research activities, Birnbaum emphasized the importance of community-based problem-solving for understanding and addressing challenging health issues, including reducing exposures to toxicants prenatally and across the lifespan. Brewer described nutrition research under way by 好色先生 and its community partners that hopes to 鈥渕ake the healthy choice, the easy, or default, choice.鈥� Caudill talked about the importance of place and how it is central to the efforts of MCHC to promote health within the region. Discussing the work of 好色先生's CERH, Feltner highlighted the need for workforce development programs and how economic depression can affect the health of a community. Prior to the forum, the NIEHS director participated in site visits to the 好色先生 CERH, MCHC, Appalshop and the Cowan Community Center. During the visits, local leaders were able to share valuable information with Birnbaum on the issues impacting natural resources in the community. 鈥淥ur mission for NIEHS is to discover how the environment affects people in order to promote healthier lives,鈥� Birnbaum said. 鈥淭oo often, individuals and organizations work in overlapping areas to promote community health and positive lifestyles but are not fully aware of each other鈥檚 work,鈥� according to Lindell Ormsbee, Raymond-Blythe Professor of Civil Engineering in the College of Engineering and associate director of the 好色先生 Superfund Research Center (SRC). 鈥淭his forum provided an opportunity to help make those connections.鈥� Kelly Pennell, associate professor in the College of Engineering and co-leader of the SRC Research Translation and Community Engagement Cores, who joined Ormsbee in leading a planning team comprising community members from Perry and Letcher counties, as well as 好色先生 faculty and students, added, 鈥淲e were honored to be welcomed so warmly into these communities and be given the opportunity to learn about and share with other organizations the many programs taking place to improve health and well-being in Eastern Kentucky.鈥� Organizers of the forum, which was sponsored by 好色先生 and NIEHS, hope the event will further enhance the numerous ongoing efforts taking place in the southeastern part of the state. 好色先生 is the University for Kentucky. At 好色先生, we are educating more students, treating more patients with complex illnesses and conducting more research and service than at any time in our 150-year history. To read more about the 好色先生 story and how you can support continued investment in your university and the Commonwealth, visit uky.edu/uk4ky. #uk4ky #seeblue MEDIA CONTACTS: Carl Nathe, 859-257-3200; carl.nathe@.uky.edu; Kara Richardson, 859-327-2825; kara.richardson@uky.edu