Kentucky.gov

Below you will find a list of recent press releases.  Click on the title to view the full text of the press release.

To view more headlines or archived press releases, use the green navigation options on the left.

• Nominations Sought for Governor’s Volunteer Awards; Deadline is Feb. 15
  Thursday, February 02, 2012
  It’s time to honor those groups and individuals who have served their fellow Kentuckians in an exceptional manner during the past year. Nominations are now being accepted for the 2011 Governor’s Awards for Volunteerism and Service. Find nomination forms, category criteria and more information online at the KCCVS website, http://chfs.ky.gov/dfrcvs/kccvs/govawards/.
• Kentucky Receives $600,000 Grant to Connect Behavioral Health, Primary Care Providers
  Tuesday, January 31, 2012
  The Governor’s Office of Electronic Health Information (GOEHI) was recently awarded a $600,000 federal grant to improve health services for individuals with mental health or substance abuse conditions, the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) announced today. Specifically, the grant will be used for the development of infrastructure to support the electronic exchange of health information among patients’ health care providers and the state’s community mental health centers.
• Cooler Temperatures Increase the Risk for Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
  Wednesday, January 11, 2012
  As outdoor winter temperatures drop and the risk for carbon monoxide poisoning increases, Kentuckians are urged to be aware of the dangers of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning due to improper use of heating or cooking devices.
• It’s Time for New Year’s Resolutions
  Thursday, December 29, 2011
  As 2012 approaches, so does the human resolve to make life changes, such as losing weight, increasing exercise – or quitting smoking and tobacco products.
• Secondhand Smoke Is 100 Percent Unsafe, 100 Percent of the Time
  Wednesday, December 21, 2011
  Secondhand cigarette smoke is unsafe and is linked to numerous forms of illness and disease, including asthma, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), heart disease and lung cancer. That’s why the Kentucky Department for Public Health (DPH) is launching its new “Unsafe Campaign” to educate Kentuckians about the dangers of secondhand tobacco smoke and its potential effect on family members, friends, co-workers and passersby. The campaign is entirely federally funded by American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention grant dollars.
• Reduce Stress to Prevent Child Abuse During Holidays; Report suspected abuse to (877) KYSAFE1
  Friday, December 16, 2011
  Stress can increase during the holidays, even in the most loving of families. And that can put some children at risk for abuse. With children home from school, holiday travel and seasonal shopping and associated expenses, parents can get frazzled more easily than usual. What is typically a fun and joyful time for children can become devastating when parents or caregivers cope by becoming abusive.
• KASPER Advisory Council Holds First Meeting
  Friday, December 02, 2011
  FRANKFORT, KY (Dec. 2, 2011) - The KASPER Advisory Council, an 11-member board of professionals recently appointed by Governor Steve Beshear, held its first meeting today to look at ways to help authorized agencies identify suspicious drug prescribing habits by medical professionals.
• Get Vaccinated Against the Flu during National Influenza Vaccination Week
  Friday, December 02, 2011
  State public health officials are encouraging Kentuckians to get a flu vaccination during National Influenza Vaccination Week, Dec. 4-10, to reduce the spread of illness this holiday season.
• KASPER Advisory Meeting
  Wednesday, November 30, 2011
  KASPER Advisory Council to Meet
• CHFS works with Birthing Hospitals to Encourage Participation in New Breastfeeding Training
  Wednesday, November 30, 2011
  The Kentucky Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program and the University of Louisville (UofL) Hospital Center for Women and Infants are working with Kentucky hospitals to initiate or improve “Kangaroo Care” practices, which seek to improve breastfeeding rates in newborn infants by promoting skin-to-skin contact with the mother in the hours immediately after birth and throughout the hospital stay.
• World AIDS Day is Dec. 1
  Tuesday, November 29, 2011
  The Kentucky Department for Public Health (DPH) is working to promote World AIDS Day Dec. 1, providing a chance for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV.
• Remember Food Safety This Thanksgiving
  Tuesday, November 22, 2011
  Remember Food Safety This Thanksgiving
• Twenty-five Jefferson Families Celebrate Adoptions; Thirty-eight children join new families on Louisville Adoption Day
  Friday, November 18, 2011
  Twenty-five families warmly welcomed new members today when the adoptions of 38 children were finalized as part of Louisville Adoption Day. Following the proceedings in Jefferson Family Court, the families celebrated at a reception cosponsored by the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS).
• Shelby County Named First HeartSafe Community
  Wednesday, November 16, 2011
  Health and Family Services Cabinet Secretary Janie Miller and representatives from the Kentucky Department for Public Health (DPH) were on hand in Shelby County today to issue the state’s first HeartSafe Community Award, a designation for communities that have met a specific set of criteria to better respond to cardiac arrests.
• State’s first lab-confirmed influenza case reported
  Wednesday, November 09, 2011
  Kentucky Department for Public Health (DPH) officials are urging Kentuckians to get a flu vaccination after the season’s first lab-confirmed case of influenza was reported this week. The case was from Jessamine County.
• Cabinet Announces Availability of Energy Assistance Funds
  Monday, November 07, 2011
  The Cabinet for Health and Family Services today announced that $24 million in federal funding has been released to Kentucky to help low-income families heat their homes this winter. The U.S. Department for Health and Human Services (HHS) this week released funding for states’ Low Income Home Energy Assistance Programs (LIHEAP), which help families pay their energy bills, particularly during the very cold and hot months.
• Cabinet, Department of Justice Agree to Lift Oakwood Settlement Agreement
  Wednesday, October 05, 2011
  The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) have jointly agreed to lift a 2006 Settlement Agreement related to Oakwood, a state facility in Somerset for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
• Department for Public Health Urges Kentuckians to Get Vaccinated Against the Flu
  Thursday, September 29, 2011
  State public health officials are encouraging Kentuckians to get the flu vaccine now to reduce the spread of illness this coming flu season.
• Disability Fraud Investigation Office Established in Kentucky
  Wednesday, September 28, 2011
  The Social Security Administration (SSA), the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) and the Office of the Attorney General announced today that a new Cooperative Disability Investigations (CDI) Office has been established in Lexington to help combat fraud in federal disability benefit programs.
• Medicaid Managed Care Implementation Extended until Nov. 1 in Response to Hospitals’ Request
  Monday, September 19, 2011
  Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) Secretary Janie Miller today announced that the implementation date for Medicaid Managed Care, targeted for Oct. 1, 2011, will be extended one month, an option provided in the contracts with managed care organizations. The Cabinet has granted the extension in response to a request from the Kentucky Hospital Association (KHA), which has assured the Cabinet that a one-month extension to Nov. 1, 2011 will allow hospitals adequate time to sign contracts and prepare for implementation.