CHFS Community Podcast

Greta Greenwade Jones, Ed.D., is assistant director in the Program Integrity Division at the Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities. Born number 12 out of 13 children, she was raised in a loving home with a single mother in Western Kentucky. In today’s episode, we discuss Greta’s family life, career path and passion for volunteerism beginning at age nine. I personally consider it a blessing to wake up every morning with the opportunity to change somebody’s life through work and am grateful for the vast number of employees, like Greta, who exemplify this at CHFS.

Did you know that almost 185,000 people in the U.S. are expected to be diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma or myeloma in 2023? Most patients do not have a fully matched, healthy donor in their family and have to depend on national registries for bone marrow donations. A group of employees from the Office of Data Analytics are doing something about this. Ben Duncan, Reagan Gaetz and Darby Todd are raising awareness about how ordinary people can register to donate bone marrow and blood stem cells. On today’s episode, Darby and I talk with Be The Match Representative Dannielle Moore about how easy it is to provide hope and save lives by volunteering or becoming a donor for a patient seeking a match.

Wanda Hartley is the longest serving employee at the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. After a diligent and productive career, she is retiring with almost 50 years at the cabinet. Hartley remembers the days of mimeographing, copying letters with a noisy hand-cranked machine and stamping envelopes. Today, we are rebroadcasting our 2020 conversation about her journey from single mother of two with the work incentive program to office support assistant at the Department for Community Based Services in Newport. Hartley says her favorite parts of the job are when there is reunification with families, and when she feels she played a part in helping people get through their problems. Having the opportunity to work with people like Wanda has been the highlight of my career. We wish her a happy retirement with contentment and good health.

Born in Germany to a military family, Kyra Dailey lived in Oklahoma and Texas before landing in Frankfort, Ky. at age 10. After graduating from Midway College, she accepted a job at the Kentucky Community Crisis Response Board and was later hired at the Kentucky Department for Public Heath following graduate school. In today’s episode we discuss the extraordinary process of finding one’s niche in the face of adversity, and how a simple task like managing a website could affect millions of lives for the better.

Today’s discussion is about what we did right during COVID-19 and the amazing team behind our success. Dr. Keith Knapp arrived at the cabinet with 37 years of practice as a licensed nursing home administrator from managing stand-alone skilled nursing and rehabilitation facilities, to leading continuing care retirement communities. When many states were paralyzed with fear by the pandemic, Keith helped to assemble a team of high functioning experts including academic leaders, medical directors, representation from AARP and even a medical ethicist. Our focus was on saving lives, and the broader medical community affirmed our decisions at every step. In this edition of CHFS Community Podcast we discuss recent accomplishments, the future of long-term care and the groundbreaking potential of Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE).

Kentucky’s community health workers (CHW) have connected clinics with communities since 1994. These public health advocates provide access to medical, social and environmental services while striving to overcome health inequities. Laura A. Eirich, M.P.H., manages the Kentucky Office of Community Health Workers. On today’s episode we discuss her educational journey, year of service with AmeriCorps and the CHW program. Whether working with hospitals, non-profits or managed care, CHWs are as exceptional as the communities they serve. Tune in to discover the tremendous impact of CHWs across the state.

Taban Herrington brings a unique perspective to the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. While growing up, her father’s job took the family to Mexico to build self-sustaining communities. At times, the family lived without electricity and running water. This and other experiences deepened her empathy and commitment to help others in meaningful ways. Herrington’s family later moved to the U.S., where she graduated from high school and obtained a master’s degree in risk and crisis communication. More recently, her efforts helped provide immediate assistance to hospitals during the pandemic and contributed to jumpstarting future public health careers. Herrington is currently “living her dream” as chief of staff at the Kentucky Department for Public Health. In today’s episode we discuss grit, community service, and how public health came together during a worldwide pandemic.

Sarah Cooper is executive director at the Office of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs (OLRA) with the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. Her state government career began in Protection and Permanency at the Department for Community Based Services before moving to OLRA as a policy analyst and staff assistant. Today, we discuss her current role in the legislative and regulatory process and what happens within the cabinet when a bill is passed by the legislature.

Steve Cambron is a program administrator for the Purple Star Program in Kentucky. On the Friday episode before Memorial Day, we discuss the importance of supporting military-connected children in their diverse communities across the state. Son of a Korean war veteran, Cambron was raised in a Louisville neighborhood along the Ohio River called Rubbertown. After high school, he spent over 10 years in France before completing a master’s degree at the University of Louisville. While working at the Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities, he became involved in addressing the needs of military-connected youth through a federal grant and launched Kentucky's Purple Star Program in 2021. The program has grown to include 42 schools in 13 counties across the state. Memorial Day is a time to reflect on the American patriots who made the ultimate sacrifice while protecting and defending our country. Please keep our soldiers and their families in mind this weekend. 

I often say, “All means all y’all,” and today’s episode reminds listeners that every Kentuckian deserves to be part of a caring community, despite our differences. My guest, Vestena S. Robbins, is a senior executive advisor in the Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities. Raised in Bell County, her Berea College experience ignited a passion for research, innovation and evidence-based practices. Robbins went on to receive a doctorate in Child and Family Research and Policy from the University of South Florida and has worked in children’s mental health for over 30 years. We discuss her personal journey, professional vision and newfound perspective as a client of services provided through the Cabinet for Health and Family Services.