Behind the Blue

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 8, 2023) – Housed in the University of Kentucky College of Public Health. The Center for Innovation in Population Health helps people manage human serving systems such as health care, child welfare, juvenile justice, mental health, education and more by utilizing the Transformational Collaborative Outcomes Management framework. The Center focuses on shifting these systems away from just spending time with people to seeing the work as transformational offerings by helping people change their lives.

Michael Cull is the associate director of the Center and a professor in the Department of Health Management and Policy at the College of Public Health. Tiffany Lindsey is an assistant professor and safe systems practitioner for the center. On this episode of ‘Behind the Blue’, Cull and Lindsey discuss the Center’s mission and goals, the benefit for agencies that rely upon this type of crossover information, how the College of Public Health hopes to utilize the Center to improve upon social determinants of health in the population, and more.

"Behind the Blue" is available on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify. Become a subscriber to receive new episodes of “Behind the Blue” each week. UK’s latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists and writers will be featured, along with the most important news impacting the university.

For questions or comments about this or any other episode of "Behind the Blue," email [email protected] or tweet your question with #BehindTheBlue. Transcripts for this or other episodes of Behind the Blue can be downloaded from the show’s blog page.

To discover what’s wildly possible at the University of Kentucky, click here.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 25, 2023) – This week’s episode of ‘Behind the Blue’ features an episode of ‘From the Blue: The UK Alumni Association Podcast’. For more information about ‘From the Blue’ or the UK Alumni Association, click here.

 As the UK Alumni Association recognizes the impact women have made upon the university over the past 135 years, it is essential to consider the influence of the Board of Trustees as it governs the institution’s educational and financial policies. The UK Board of Trustees consists of 16 members appointed by the Governor, two members of the faculty, one university staff employee and one member of the student body. Trustees serve six-year terms.

 Georgia M. Blazer was first woman appointed to serve on the Board of Trustees and served from 1939 to 1961. Mira Snider Ball was the first woman to serve as chair of the UK Board of Trustees in 2007. Today, the three alumni representatives to the Board are three accomplished female alumnae:

• Brenda Baker Gosney ’70 HS, ’75 ED
• Paula Leach Pope ’73 ’75 ED
• Rachel Watts Webb ’05 CI

 These women recently spent time with UK Alumni Association Associate Director for Strategic Initiatives Christina Yue to share how UK has impacted their personal and professional lives.

 For more information about the 135 Years of UK Women initiative, visit www.ukalumni.net/135years.

 "Behind the Blue" is available on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify. Become a subscriber to receive new episodes of “Behind the Blue” each week. UK’s latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists and writers will be featured, along with the most important news impacting the university.

 For questions or comments about this or any other episode of "Behind the Blue," email [email protected] or tweet your question with #BehindTheBlue. Transcripts for this or other episodes of Behind the Blue can be downloaded from the show’s blog page.

 To discover what’s wildly possible at the University of Kentucky, click here.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 18, 2023) – With over 60 employees, UK’s Purchasing Division handles around $1.4 billion worth of transactions for the entire University community. Barry Swanson, UK’s Chief Procurement Officer, says that number grows as the University grows, and he expects it to surpass $2 billion in just a few more years.

The mission of the Purchasing Division, which includes Central Purchasing, Hospital Purchasing, Construction Purchasing, UK Supply Center, and Surplus Property) is to provide service and support, in a legal and professional manner, to purchase quality goods and services at the best value to the University community.

To that end, the University is also committed to serve as an advocate for diverse businesses in their efforts to conduct day-to-day operations, transactions and interactions with UK. Marilyn Clark is UK’s Supply Diversity Manager, and oversees the Diverse Business Enterprises efforts of the department, which consists of businesses that are at least fifty-one percent owned and operated by people in the categories of minority, women, disabled, veteran and disabled veteran.

On this episode of ‘Behind the Blue’, Swanson and Clark discuss their roles and responsibilities, the diversity goals they’ve set for a positive community impact, the importance of relationship building and partnerships with small businesses around the state, and more.

"Behind the Blue" is available on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify. Become a subscriber to receive new episodes of “Behind the Blue” each week. UK’s latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists and writers will be featured, along with the most important news impacting the university.

For questions or comments about this or any other episode of "Behind the Blue," email [email protected] or tweet your question with #BehindTheBlue. Transcripts for this or other episodes of Behind the Blue can be downloaded from the show’s blog page.

To discover what’s wildly possible at the University of Kentucky, click here.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 11, 2023) – Since the end of World War II, the United States, China and Russia have held a position as the three biggest players on the international stage. The relationships between these three countries dictated events on a global level through the end of the Cold War, according to many observers.

 However, Dr. Gregory Hall contends that this relationship didn’t dissolve but actually reconfigured and adjusted to the new post-Cold War landscape of the 1990s, and actually continues even today as a feature of international politics.

 Hall, an Associate Professor in UK’s Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce, has held appointments at institutions in both the United States and abroad, including Hong Kong and Turkey. He also helped direct the initiative to establish a peace studies program at Morehouse College, where he previously served as Head of the Department of Political Science and Director of the International Studies Program.

On this episode of ‘Behind the Blue’, Dr. Hall discusses his new book about this ‘strategic triangle dynamic’ between the US, China and Russia, the impact that domestic policies in each country have on the bigger relationship, what both the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine can tell us about future challenges on the world scene and more.

 "Behind the Blue" is available on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify. Become a subscriber to receive new episodes of “Behind the Blue” each week. UK’s latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists and writers will be featured, along with the most important news impacting the university.

For questions or comments about this or any other episode of "Behind the Blue," email [email protected] or tweet your question with #BehindTheBlue. Transcripts for this or other episodes of Behind the Blue can be downloaded from the show’s blog page.

 To discover what’s wildly possible at the University of Kentucky, click here.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 2, 2023) – This spring, UK is celebrating nearly 6,000 degrees conferred by the Board of Trustees, with more than 4,000 of those expected to cross the stage of Rupp Arena during commencement ceremonies. 

On this episode of Behind the Blue, we once again spotlight a few of those graduates to talk about their time here at UK, the memories they’ll take with them, and how they’re prepared to move ahead and make the most of what they’ve learned.

Sarah Holmes, from Louisville, is an international studies major with a Spanish minor, graduating from the UK College of Arts and Sciences. During her time at UK, she served as president of the Model United Nations Club, after she and her classmates, with support of faculty in UK International Studies, worked to reestablish the organization after it shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Model UN is an educational experience in which students represent delegates from member states of the United Nations in a simulation of the UN General Assembly. Students work with other delegations to debate and collaborate on solutions for pressing and complex global issues surrounding topics such as conflict, poverty, climate action, gender inequality, global health and more. 

In addition to this, Holmes has also utilized her Spanish-speaking skills through study abroad and an internship with the non-profit Community Response Coalition of Kentucky (CRCKY), serving vulnerable populations in the Lexington community. She plans to attend the UK Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce in the fall.

AJ Miller, from Jackson, Kentucky, is graduating with a degree in Russian studies and minors in criminology and international studies. During his time at UK, he was very active in international studies, residing in UK’s International Village, a living learning program that supports international students, and had aspirations to study abroad in Russia, until the Russian invasion of Ukraine made that goal no longer possible. 

Adding to his challenges, Miller and his family were impacted by the flooding in Eastern Kentucky last year. The International Center at UK supported Miller during this difficult time, helping him navigate the hurdles set before him. He went on to eventually study abroad in Latvia and is grateful for the support he received at UK to still achieve his goal of studying abroad.

"Behind the Blue" is available on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify. Become a subscriber to receive new episodes of “Behind the Blue” each week. UK’s latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists and writers will be featured, along with the most important news impacting the university.

For questions or comments about this or any other episode of "Behind the Blue," email [email protected] or tweet your question with #BehindTheBlue. Transcripts for this or other episodes of Behind the Blue can be downloaded from the show’s blog page.

To discover what’s wildly possible at the University of Kentucky, click here.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 27, 2023) – Frank X Walker is the director of UK’s Master of Fine Arts program in creative writing. The state of Kentucky has a long and storied tradition of writers – across genres of fiction, poetry and essays – who are deeply connected to the state – its geography and landscape, its history and challenges. The program’s current faculty roster includes nationally recognized authors across a number of genres.

 Walker is extending the legacy of UK and Kentucky’s reputation as central to the writing community, working as a poet, writer and artist. He has recently published a book geared toward a younger audience and is now at work on a new collection of poems that examines a dramatic family history that dates back to the Civil War era.

 Walker is a founding member of the Affrilachian Poets, a founder/Executive Director of the Bluegrass Black Arts Consortium, the Program Coordinator of the University of Kentucky’s King Cultural Center, and a Kentucky Arts Council Al Smith Fellowship recipient.  A native of Danville, Ky., Walker is a graduate of the University of Kentucky and was the 2013-14 Poet Laureate for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. He sat down with Behind the Blue recently to discuss his current and future writing endeavors as well as how he pitches the UK MFA program to outstanding young talent.

 "Behind the Blue" is available on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify. Become a subscriber to receive new episodes of “Behind the Blue” each week. UK’s latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists and writers will be featured, along with the most important news impacting the university.

 For questions or comments about this or any other episode of "Behind the Blue," email [email protected] or tweet your question with #BehindTheBlue. Transcripts for this or other episodes of Behind the Blue can be downloaded from the show’s blog page.

 To discover what’s wildly possible at the University of Kentucky, click here.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 20, 2023) – On January 30th of this year UK President Eli Capilouto announced the search committee for the next Executive Vice President for Health Affairs (EVPHA) for UK HealthCare. The committee is tasked with finding a replacement for previous EVPHA Dr. Mark F. Newman, who left the position at the end of 2022 to become University Advisor for Health Care Innovation and Growth.

On this special ‘Behind the Blue’, we’re sharing a recent episode of UK HealthCare’s ‘ The Loop’ podcast from April 10th. On it, UK Chief Communication Officer Jay Blanton speaks with search committee co-chairs Dr. Seth Himelhoch, chair of Psychiatry, and Dr. Nancy Cox, vice president for land-grant management and Dean of the UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment.

Among the discussion topics covered are President Capilouto’s charge to the search committee and their process, the position and its qualifications, how the new EVPHA will work with a new dean of the College of Medicine (which is also in a search process), and more.

"Behind the Blue" is available on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify. Become a subscriber to receive new episodes of “Behind the Blue” each week. UK’s latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists and writers will be featured, along with the most important news impacting the university.

For questions or comments about this or any other episode of "Behind the Blue," email [email protected] or tweet your question with #BehindTheBlue. Transcripts for this or other episodes of Behind the Blue can be downloaded from the show’s blog page.

To discover what’s wildly possible at the University of Kentucky, click here.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 13, 2023) – In recent years, much attention has been paid to the so-called “helping” professions – those who work on the front lines in assisting others. Social workers, teachers, police, firefighters, doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers are among the many professionals who often face the most stressful situations in the workplace. They’re also often the ones who see the most prevalent risks associated with professional burnout, when a practitioner becomes increasingly inoperative based on the circumstances and pressures of what they’re doing.

Often, these workers are portrayed in our culture as tireless and self-sacrificing in challenging situations. Yet despite the portrayal, many of these professionals struggle to engage in adequate self-care, leading to increased incidences of burnout and job fatigue.

Dr. Justin “Jay” Miller, Dean & Dorothy A. Miller Research Professor in Social Work Education at the UK College of Social Work, has been working hard to change that situation. Deeply passionate about self-care for those helping professionals, Miller created a lab at UK devoted to researching and improving self-care.

Through the work of the self-care lab, Dr. Miller and his colleagues began to learn that social workers and other helping professionals engage with and talk about self-care in silos, which often leads to a lack of communication and information sharing between departments and institutions.

 In response, Miller launched the Global Self-Care Initiative. This international partnership network, which has grown to over 17 countries, focuses on cultural nuances of professional workplaces and how self-care can help mitigate the stress caused by these workplaces.

On this episode of ‘Behind the Blue’ Dean Miller discusses the distinction of the concept of self-care vs. what it often is, how the pandemic revealed structural issues that had long been in place, the similarities of self-care needs in workspaces around the globe, and more.

"Behind the Blue" is available on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify. Become a subscriber to receive new episodes of “Behind the Blue” each week. UK’s latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists and writers will be featured, along with the most important news impacting the university.

For questions or comments about this or any other episode of "Behind the Blue," email [email protected] or tweet your question with #BehindTheBlue. Transcripts for this or other episodes of Behind the Blue can be downloaded from the show’s blog page.

To discover what’s wildly possible at the University of Kentucky, click here.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 6, 2023) – This past December, the Ashland-based King’s Daughters Health System officially became part of the University of Kentucky, a move that helps create greater access to high-quality care for more Kentuckians. UK and King’s Daughters have had a close relationship working together on health issues for many years, and UK’s resources and infrastructure are helping King’s Daughters keep up with the significant growth they’ve recently seen.

King’s Daughters serves a 16-county region across Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia and has more than 5,000 employees. Its health system is comprised of two acute-care hospitals totaling 465 licensed beds; an integrated network of more than 600 physicians and advanced practitioners; more than 50 ambulatory centers and practice locations; a long-term care facility; medical transport company; and six urgent care centers.

Dr. Richard Ford, a UK College of Medicine alum and former resident, who held an OB/GYN practice in Ashland for 15 years joins this episode of ‘Behind the Blue’. Dr. Ford is now the chief medical officer for inpatient and procedural services at King’s Daughters.

"Behind the Blue" is available on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify. Become a subscriber to receive new episodes of “Behind the Blue” each week. UK’s latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists and writers will be featured, along with the most important news impacting the university.

For questions or comments about this or any other episode of "Behind the Blue," email [email protected] or tweet your question with #BehindTheBlue. Transcripts for this or other episodes of Behind the Blue can be downloaded from the show’s blog page.

To discover what’s wildly possible at the University of Kentucky, click here.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 30, 2023) – Established in 2004, the University of Kentucky College of Public Health strives to develop transformative solutions to health challenges through teaching, research and service efforts. With Kentucky at the epicenter of some of the country’s major public health challenges, the College of Public Health is dedicated to transforming and assisting in the creation of a healthier community, state, and world for everyone.

 Dr. Heather M. Bush is the Acting Dean of the College of Public Health, and former Chair of the Department of Biostatistics. Dr. Bush focuses her scholarly work on vulnerable populations, examining issues of women’s health, the impacts of sexual violence on health, and the prevention of sexual violence. As an investigator, she works to promote the engagement of populations typically underrepresented in research.

 On this episode of ‘Behind the Blue’, Bush talks about her journey from statistics to public health, the variety of disciplines in the college and how their work impacts our daily lives, and what the College has planned for the 2023 National Public Health Week coming up April 3-9.

 "Behind the Blue" is available on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify. Become a subscriber to receive new episodes of “Behind the Blue” each week. UK’s latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists and writers will be featured, along with the most important news impacting the university.

For questions or comments about this or any other episode of "Behind the Blue," email [email protected] or tweet your question with #BehindTheBlue. Transcripts for this or other episodes of Behind the Blue can be downloaded from the show’s blog page.

To discover what’s wildly possible at the University of Kentucky, click here.