News

Clearing the Smoke: Kentucky’s Lingering Tobacco Habit

A tobacco barn in Magoffin County near the Mountain Parkway displays what once would have been an unlikely message for any rural Kentucky community: “Quit Now Kentucky. For help quitting smoking, 1-800-quit-now, www.quitnowkentucky.org.”

Farm owner Sheila Salyer acknowledges the irony. “Its history has been raising tobacco,” she said.

On KET’s Health Three60: Clearing the Smoke, Abbie Conley, tobacco coordinator for the Magoffin County Health Department, recalled how tobacco production brought farm families together...

Alex Lusembe is Pinned

We at BH WELL are proud to recognize Alex Lusembe. Alex was a graduate of the Work Learning Program. He received his BSN diploma during UK graduation ceremonies.

UK CON BSN Dec. 2019 Graduates

BH WELL congratulates UK College of Nursing December 2019 graduates Rachel Kinnard, Sophie Matheson, and Mady Strong. During their undergraduate program at the College of Nursing, Rachel and Mady went to Macau, China to learn about nursing care in Macau. Sophie and Mady were also BH WELL research interns during their undergraduate nursing program.

Dr. Zim Okoli Awarded KVC Values-Driven Partner Award at 2019 Annual Celebration

Thanks to your support and partnership, KVC Health Systems’ local community teams are making a tremendous difference in the lives of tens of thousands of children and families. Please join us and bring a friend so we can thank you, recognize several key partners with awards, share stories, and unveil our 2019 Annual Impact Report.

Williams is National Black Nurses Association's Nurse Researcher of the Year

Lovoria Williams, PhD, associate professor in the University of Kentucky College of Nursing, has been named Nurse Researcher of the Year by the National Black Nurses Association at the 47th Annual Conference in New Orleans on Saturday, July 27. The award represents her work to deliver community-based interventions that reduce health disparities among minority and medically-underserved populations by increasing tobacco cessation and cancer screening behaviors and reducing obesity and diabetes.

Second Degree Student Named One of Thirty American Psychiatric Nurses Association Board of Directors Student Scholars

Sarret Seng, second degree nursing student, was recently named one of thirty American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA) Board of Directors Student Scholars. This scholarship includes registration, travel and lodging expenses to attend the APNA 32nd Annual Conference, October 24-27, 2018 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio. In addition, the recipients will receive one year complimentary membership in APNA.

RAPID 2018 in UKNow Spotlight

Researchers, administrators and health care providers from the University of Kentucky College of Nursing, UK HealthCare, and Eastern State Hospital gathered on April 25 for the inaugural Research and Practice Initiatives Day (RAPID). As part of an academic-clinical partnership, the intent of RAPID was to advance education, enhance staff development, support research, and improve patient outcomes.

Smoking Cessation: An Essential Part of Mental Health Services

While tobacco use slowly drops among the general population, a startling 41 percent of persons with mental illness in Kentucky use tobacco, according to a 2013 study by the Centers for Disease Control. An increasing number of mental health advocates and providers are calling for tobacco treatment programs specially designed for people with chronic mental and behavioral health conditions. “There is a culture of tobacco use that has been pervasive in behavioral health populations and we are strongly trying to address that,” says Chizimuzo Okoli, Ph.D., an associate professor at the University of Kentucky College of Nursing.

2018 APNA Student Scholarship Recipient

2018 American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA) Student Scholarship Recipient, Sarret Seng, is a UK CON 2nd degree Bachelor of Science in Nursing senior who also serves as the Work Learning Program peer tutor and a Mental Health Associate at Eastern State Hospital.

Dr. Zim Okoli Speaks at Tobacco Tax Media Event, Calls for Higher Cigarette Tax with members of BREATHE.

Supporters of a higher cigarette tax in Kentucky, including members of the College of Nursing BREATHE (Bridging Research Efforts and Advocacy Toward Health Environments) Team, rallied at the State Capitol in Frankfort on Thursday, February 8, 2018. 

Supporters of Higher Cigarette Tax Rally at State Capitol

Supporters of a higher cigarette tax in Kentucky rallied at the State Capitol in Frankfort Thursday. The rally was organized by the Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Tomorrow. Organizers say a tax increase might help some people you might not expect. “If there’s a ten-percent increase in the cost of cigarettes, there’s an 18-percent decrease in tobacco consumption among price-sensitive people with mental illnesses,” said Dr. Chizimuzo Okoli from the University of Kentucky College of Nursing.

KET Program: Calling It Quits: Real Help to Stop Smoking

In this half-hour documentary, KET examines the disease of tobacco addiction and presents evidence-based strategies to help smokers quit smoking once and for all. Narrated by Silas House.

Staff Senate Presents Outstanding Staff Awards

Recently, 55 University of Kentucky staff members were honored by their colleges and divisions during the 2017 Outstanding Staff Awards (OSA) recognition ceremony. This was the eighth year for the event sponsored by the UK Staff Senate and the UK President's Office.

UK Tobacco Treatment Specialist Training Program Receives Accreditation

The University of Kentucky College of Nursing’s BREATHE Tobacco Treatment Specialist (TTS) training program received accreditation from the Council for Tobacco Treatment Training Programs (CTTTP) on Aug. 16. The program is one of 18 accredited training programs for tobacco treatment internationally.

One Puff Spurs Nursing Researcher’s Lifelong Career Investigating Tobacco and Mental Illness

University of Kentucky College of Nursing Assistant Professor Chizimuzo Okoli picked up his first and last cigarette when he was 6 years old. The mistake landed him in the emergency room. But the experience inspired his life’s work studying mental illness and substance use among marginalized and underrepresented populations. Many people living with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and other severe mental illnesses do not have access to tobacco treatments derived from evidence-based research.

Teach Teens That Driving is a Privilege, Not an Entitlement

In the formative years of adolescence, teens test their limits and push their boundaries, often with the expectation of emancipation through a driver’s license. Parents must provide a safe passage to adulthood while guarding teens against risky behaviors. But parents rarely pause to consider the risks associated with handing the car keys to an inexperienced adolescent driver.

Patient-Centered Care Helps Overcome Mental Illness and Tobacco Use

Dr. Zim Okoli is featured in the Lexington Herald-Leader and UKNOW discussing a central focus of his research on patients with mental illness and nicotine use. He highlights the need to have a patient-centered care approach. Read the full 2015 article, “Patient-Centered Care Helps Overcome Mental Illness and Tobacco Use."

Read more here.

Clearing the Smoke Explores Smoking Issues in Kentucky; Guests Urge Smoking Ban, Note Concerns

UK Nursing Student's Board Game Prompts Patients to Choose Heart-Healthy Foods

When University of Kentucky College of Nursing student Sooksai Kaewbua brings her heart-healthy board game to Eastern State Hospital, the first obstacle is getting patients to participate. Using the facility’s intercom, she and fellow nursing staff members in the geriatric unit recruit the first few players to get the game rolling.

Nursing Faculty Awarded National Grant for Substance Abuse Training

A University of Kentucky College of Nursing professor is equipping faculty members, primary care nurse practitioner students and primary care providers across Kentucky with the clinical skills to direct care when a patient presents signs of substance abuse.