Latest news with #KentuckyCabinetforHealthandFamilyServices
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Kentucky Health and Family Services chief retiring, Dr. Steven Stack will succeed him
From left, Dr. Steven Stack, CHFS Secretary Eric Freidlander and Gov. Andy Beshear at Beshear's Thursday press conference. (Screenshot) Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services Secretary Eric Friedlander will retire Aug. 1, Gov. Andy Beshear announced Thursday. Kentucky Public Health Commissioner Dr. Steven Stack will succeed him as CHFS secretary. The sprawling cabinet has a broad range of health and social services duties, from protecting children and vulnerable adults to administering the Medicaid program and inspecting nursing homes. It oversees billions of dollars in state and federal spending. Speaking of the two men, Beshear said 'their level of service goes beyond mere professionalism.' He raised them for 'living out their values at the highest level, selflessly serving all of our neighbors.' Both Stack and Friedlander were instrumental in guiding Kentucky through the COVID-19 pandemic and pushing back against vaccine misinformation. 'It has been an honor to serve,' Friedlander said during Beshear's weekly press conference. He also said his job over the last few years would have been more difficult 'if we didn't have a governor that actually believed in science.' Stack echoed that, thanking Beshear for supporting 'me in being able to be factual and straight with the people of Kentucky.' 'It feels now that we're entering a third act with all sorts of challenges coming from the federal government,' Stack said. 'Public health and health and family services is essential to ensuring that we have healthier people and healthier communities. If we fail to invest in these services and supports to ensure that all of us have the opportunity to thrive, we will all be worse off for it.' Beshear said the choice of Stack's replacement will be 'collaborative.' Friedlander has been in his current role since 2020, though he's worked in the cabinet for about four decades. He formerly worked as chief resiliency officer for the Louisville government. This story will be updated.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
DOGE says it's cutting nearly $130M in federal grants to Kentucky
KENTUCKY (FOX 56) — New entries on the Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE) website reveal plans to cut millions of dollars in health and family services grants to the Commonwealth. According to the agency efficiency leaderboard, DOGE reported cuts to the Department of Health and Human Services have generated the most savings. Read more of the latest Kentucky news As of March 24, DOGE has announced that 10 grants to the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services will be terminated, amounting to $122,137,033 lost. Additionally, two grants to the Kentucky Human Resources Cabinet and one to the University of Kentucky Research Foundation will be terminated, reportedly generating $5,557,809 in savings. In a Thursday, March 27, Team Kentucky update, Gov. Andy Beshear called the grant terminations 'unlawful.' 'We have received notice of grants being canceled,' Beshear said. 'It's an unlawful cancellation, and we'll challenge it. These are contracts that we have. The contracts can only be terminated for cause, which means somebody did something wrong, and they are trying to define cause as the pandemic. That's not a legal argument.' Kentucky professor to challenge 5-day champion on 'Jeopardy!' DOGE says it's cutting nearly $130M in federal grants to Kentucky Louisville man accused of trafficking over 4 pounds of meth on I-64 in Midway He said that if the funding is terminated, it could cause health clinics to close their doors. 'I am worried about the cuts,' Beshear said. 'These are Americans; they have families. They chose to do civil service, and now they are being told that their services are no longer needed. Some of them are being told it's their fault, which is not true.' FOX 56 asked the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services for a statement on the DOGE notices and is waiting to hear back. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Measles case confirmed in Kentucky amid virus outbreak in U.S.
Public health officials have confirmed a case of measles in Kentucky amid ongoing outbreaks in multiple states. The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services said a Frankfort resident recently traveled internationally to an area with an ongoing measles outbreak and returned home while still infectious, even visiting a Planet Fitness location. In a news release, officials said they are working to identify and contact anyone who may have been exposed to the virus. The last confirmed case of measles in Kentucky was in 2023. Measles − a highly contagious respiratory virus known to cause serious health complications in young children − is an airborne illness that can survive up to two hours after an infected person leaves an area, officials said. Early symptoms typically begin eight to 12 days after exposure and include high fever, cough, runny nose and watery eyes. 'Measles is one of the most contagious viruses in the world,' Kentucky Department for Public Health Commissioner Dr. Steven Stack said in a release. 'Fortunately, measles can be prevented with the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, which is safe and effective. Vaccines are an essential tool to keep children and adults safe and healthy.' Kentucky isn't the first state to have a case of measles this year. More than 100 people were infected in a fast-growing measles outbreak in Texas and New Mexico, USA TODAY reported, including a child who succumbed to the virus in the first measles death in the U.S. since 2015. Officials say anyone exposed to the virus but who has not been vaccinated should quarantine for 12 days after exposure and immediately contact a doctor once symptoms develop. 'If you have been exposed to measles (and) are going to see a health care practitioner, it is important to call the facility to make them aware of your measles exposure and symptoms prior to entering so that others are not exposed,' Stack said. More information about measles can be found at the Kentucky Department for Public Health's website or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's website. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Measles confirmed in Kentucky amid outbreaks of virus in U.S.
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
States move to restrict transgender adult care amid gender-affirming youth care battles
After months of targeting transgender youth medical care, legislators in some states are now setting their sights on restricting funding for care for transgender adults. Lawmakers in at least eight states are seeking to restrict state or public funds from being used for gender-affirming care, limiting a patient's ability to use Medicaid to help pay: Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Texas, and Virginia. For Mason Kalinsky, that would mean he may no longer be able to access the hormone therapy that he has been taking for roughly three years. Kalinsky, a 27-year-old transgender activist in Kentucky, told ABC News in an interview that hormone therapy changed his life. Before accessing hormone therapy, Kalinsky said he and his doctors tried a slew of medications including antidepressants to address his mental health challenges, including his struggles with addiction. Hormone therapy and gender-affirming care made him feel "more awake and alive in my body in a way that no other medication had," Kalinsky said. "It's a necessary medication for me," he said. "And this bill, if it passes, would mean that I would no longer be able to get this care, as would a lot of other people who also have insurance that is in some way paid for by the public." MORE: Trans youth care ban vetoed by Kansas governor again Kentucky state Rep. Josh Calloway, a Republican, is one of the legislators behind the Kentucky bill. He told ABC News in an interview that he believes state funds should not go toward gender-affirming health care. His bill would bar state funds from going toward services related to gender transitioning, including mental health counseling or therapy, hormone therapy or any surgical procedures. Calloway could not provide details about how much in state funding currently goes to gender-affirming care for transgender patients. Instead, Calloway stated that the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services informed him that if his bill were implemented, it could cost the state between $12 to $21 million in the need for psychiatric care, counseling and hospital stays from impacted patients who may need increased mental health services. "What they are saying by that statement is that we have a mental health crisis," Calloway told ABC News, adding "they're saying that these people will be in psychiatric care and treatment if we remove the ability to use these medications." ABC News has reached out to the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services to confirm the estimate. "The truth is there's only male and female, and there is no way that either can transition to the other," said Calloway. The bill has exceptions for intersex people – such as those with differences in sexual development – and does not restrict such care for non-transgender people. "This is what is best: men, women, having a family, having babies, procreating," said Calloway. "Those aspects of our society are under attack through many different avenues. This is just one of those avenues -- promote confusion. Cause kids to be confused. They become unstable. They become adults, and before you know it, our society is totally disrupted." Transgender Americans -- who are estimated to make up less than 1% of the U.S. population over the age of 13 -- have been the target of hundreds of Republican-backed bills in recent years. These bills target bathroom usage and sports participation by transgender residents and restrict certain content in schools or libraries that refer to transgender identities. However, many anti-LGBTQ bills fail to move forward each year. In 2024, 533 anti-LGBTQ bills were considered by state legislatures and only 49 passed, according to the ACLU. Kentucky, like other states behind the new wave of restrictive bills, previously passed a gender-affirming care ban for people under the age of 18. In 2023, the gender youth care ban was vetoed by Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, which was quickly overridden by the state legislature and passed into law. Beshear argued that the bill allowed too much government interference in personal health care decisions. MORE: Transgender, nonbinary people sue Trump administration over passport policy Many of the laws that have been signed or passed into law have led to ongoing legal battles. The Supreme Court is currently considering a case, U.S. v. Skrmetti, which would decide the constitutionality of gender-affirming care bans for transgender minors. For Carma Marshall Bell, a 34-year-old trans Kentucky resident who has been on hormone therapy for five years, she said she is "terrified" about what could happen if she's unable to afford her treatment, which could include hormone withdrawal symptoms, which may lead to physical changes and a potential negative impact on mental health. "I feel like I'm in a good place. I used to be in a really dark place at the beginning. I didn't see myself in who I used to be versus who I see myself now," said Marshall. Losing her hormones "would exacerbate depression and just those dark feelings that so many Americans right now are battling and fighting against." She continued, "Hormones, to a degree, have saved my life. If I hadn't got on them, I don't know where I would be right now." Marshall plans on attending a rally with other LGBTQ advocates and allies to call on lawmakers to vote against the bills impacting the transgender community in the state. "We are people that are deserving of love, respect, humanity. We deserve our little piece of the American dream," said Marshall. "We actually take a lot of steps to ensure that there's nothing wrong with us, by ensuring that we see our mental health professionals, by ensuring that we're in those doctor's offices taking care of our health and well being, because health is wealth, and we want to prosper in this country known as America." States move to restrict transgender adult care amid gender-affirming youth care battles originally appeared on
