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Through the course of their profession, health care workers will face a variety of direct and indirect trauma, from hearing traumatic stories or witnessing effects of trauma on others to coping with death on the job. COVID-19 has only intensified these effects.

In response to the growing needs resulting from the pandemic, a project designed by the University of Kentucky Center on Trauma and Children (UK CTAC) is providing assistance and support for individuals and organizations dealing with the toll of COVID-19 on workplace well-being.

The science of health care and the cultural benefits of the arts have been inextricably tied for James C. Norton, professor in the University of Kentucky Department of Psychiatry and now semi-retired. That explains his generous gifts to both the UK College of Fine Arts and UK’s Center for Interprofessional Health Education.

The University of Kentucky College of Medicine congratulates William Stoops, PhD, professor in the departments of behavioral science and psychiatry, who has been awarded a 2020 Presidential Citation from the American Psychological Association (APA).

According to a news release from APA, Dr. Stoops received this honor for his “brilliant research, multidimensional leadership” and his “positive, enthusiastic demeanor.” He was presented this award by 2020 APA president Sandra L. Shullman.

The single greatest health behavior change that could improve health and decrease mortality is to assist tobacco users to quit smoking and using other tobacco products. This is particularly important to people living in Kentucky, where the rate of smoking is 1.5 times that of the general population of the United States.

Professor Richard Welsh’s desire to help Kentucky families propelled a decades-long career in health care and academia at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine and UK HealthCare. After nearly 52 years of service, Welsh, LCSW, MSW, has made official plans to retire.

To Welsh, the decision to say goodbye was a difficult one. He garnered a wealth of expertise in treating disruptive behavior disorders and made a tremendous impact as a professor, holding joint appointments in the UK College of Medicine Department of Psychiatry and the UK College of Social Work.

When students at the University of Kentucky were sent home last spring as a precaution early in the COVID-19 pandemic, Fareesh Hobbs Kanga, MD, faced a pair of significant challenges.

Dr. Kanga, psychiatry clerkship director and assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, had two courses approaching that needed to be converted to virtual learning, and on a tight deadline.

William W. Stoops, PhD, professor within the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, has been elected as president of the College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD), the longest standing group in the U.S. dedicated to addressing issues of drug dependence and abuse.

Dr. Marian Swope has done it all:  University of Kentucky College of Medicine graduate, professor and a pioneering physician. She was recently recognized at the College’s first Faculty of Color Network (FCN) Gala held on Oct. 18.

An estimated 21 million Americans struggle with substance use disorders each year. Unfortunately, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, only about 10 percent of those people are able to access treatment. Few regions have been hit harder by the drug epidemic than Kentucky and need increased access to evidence-based treatment for substance use disorders. The University of Kentucky Department of Psychiatry saw that need and developed a new clinic to better support patients.

Seth S. Himelhoch, MD, MPH, will be the College of Medicine’s chair of psychiatry beginning Jan. 1, 2018. He will play a vital role in the college’s mission to impact the standards and delivery of care related to mental health and substance use disorders in the commonwealth.

On Feb. 18, 13 employees from the University of Kentucky Department of Psychiatry and their families walked through downtown Lexington to raise awareness about the needs of the homeless community and funds for the Lexington Rescue Mission’s Homeless Prevention Program. Mareen Dennis, assistant professor of psychiatry, coordinated the team from UK Psychiatry. Getting staff to participate was simple, Dennis said.

Dr. Ginny Sprang, professor in the University of Kentucky Department of Psychiatry and executive director of UK’s Center on Trauma and Children (CTAC), has been awarded a $2 million grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. When Sprang began her research she focused on the field of traumatic stress, investigating event-specific factors that influenced how trauma manifested in people of all ages. Her experience as a psychotherapist working with violence exposed children began to shape the trauma research she conducted.

In Kentucky, substance use by adolescents, rates of tobacco use, binge drinking and use of other drugs are higher than the national average. More concerning is that early use of these substances can quickly lead to dependence and be an indicator of lifelong use. A unique University of Kentucky program is working to help adolescents during health and recovery from substance abuse by connecting them with someone who has been in their shoes.

Bellarmine University is pleased to recognize and honor Dr. Marian Swope ’69, a physician specializing in child and adolescent psychiatry, for her efforts to improve the lives of young people through her work and for her steadfast support of, and service to, her alma mater, Bellarmine University. Dr. Swope was the first person in her family to attend college, and she credits Lexington Catholic High School for helping her to apply for the scholarship that allowed her to enroll at Ursuline College in 1965.

Robert F. Kraus, M.D. died on March 3rd at the age of 84.

The American Board of Addiction Medicine (ABAM), located in Bethesda, Maryland, recently accredited the University of Kentucky Department of Psychiatry's Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program. There are only 27 such ABAM-accredited programs in the U.S. “We are delighted to be recognized for our excellent work in addiction medicine, which emphasizes screening, intervention, and treatment, and makes treatment more readily available to those who need it,” said Dr.

Dr.

The University of Kentucky Center for Health Services Research (CHSR), which serves as a connector, catalyst and creator at UK and UK HealthCare, announces the launch of its new website and seeks membership applicants for its efforts in applying research to optimize health care delivery. The CHSR is focused on creating, testing, and scaling next-generation health services research solutions to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of health delivery within Kentucky and beyond.

There are many families across campus, around the state and throughout the world that share deep University of Kentucky connections. 

The University of Kentucky has been awarded a $1.5 million grant by the state of Kentucky to develop a comprehensive plan for the prevention and treatment of substance abuse by adolescents. The grant money comes from a $19 million fund administered by the Substance Abuse Treatment Advisory Committee, which was created to distribute monies garnered from settlements with two pharmaceutical companies.