About Us

The Lake Cumberland District Health Department focuses on public and preventative health. We do so by offering on-site clinics, off-site programs and by engaging our communities to adopt health-focused policies and initiatives. Our mission is to, “…prevent illness and injury, promote good health practices and assure a safe environment.”

While pursuing our mission, we aspire toward excellence by endeavoring to practice according to the most contemporary and cutting edge public health practice models and standards.

Accreditation

The Lake Cumberland District Health Department is proud to announce that we have received accreditation from the Public Health Accreditation Board for a period of five years starting from March 14, 2017. This achievement is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our entire organization, including our esteemed board members and committed staff. As we continue to strive for excellence in our work, we are honored by this recognition of our efforts to provide outstanding public health services to the communities we serve. We remain committed to upholding the highest standards of performance and look forward to continuing to provide exemplary services that meet the ever-changing needs of our communities.

History of Lake Cumberland District Health Department

About Us
History of LCDHD
Emerging Public Health Initiatives
Historic Standards
About Us

• On March 14, 2017, we became accredited for a five year cycle by the Public Health Accreditation Board.
• In delivering our services, we utilize research and outcomes based programs as we strive toward fulfilling the Ten Essential Services of Public Health.
• Within all of our internal planning, we incorporate strategy within a framework of Performance Management.
• We utilize concepts of Quality Improvement as we complete both our internal agency enhancements and community health advancement projects.
• When training our staff, our Workforce Development Plan looks to the Core Competencies of public health professionals and the Public Health Preparedness Capabilities.
• In their oversight of our organization, the Lake Cumberland District Board of Health operates according to NALBOH’S Six Functions of Public Health Governance.

History of LCDHD

On June 18, 1971 William P. McElwain, M.D., Commissioner of Health, sent out a memorandum: We are pleased to announce the establishment of the first District Health Department in the State of Kentucky namely, the Lake Cumberland District Health Department. The creation of this new legal entity will join Clinton, Cumberland, McCreary, Pulaski and Wayne counties into a District on July 1, 1971 (read the full original letter at: Establishment of Lake Cumberland District Health Department; read the minutes from the first board meeting at: Lake Cumberland District Board of Health Archived Minutes).

In 1982 the counties of Adair, Casey, Green, Russell and Taylor joined the district bringing the total member counties to 10. The area covered by the LCDHD is around 3,613 square miles with a population of approximately 200,000. Somerset is the largest city in the 10 county area with a population of approximately 11,400 (2000 Census).

The LCDHD is governed by a 30-member board of directors with representation from each county’s local board of health. The board is comprised of county judge executives, physicians, nurses, dentists, veterinarians, engineers, optometrists and citizen members. The board employs an executive director and medical director to manage the day-to-day operations of the department. At our peak, we had approximately 300 staff members employed in the 10 county health centers and administrative offices located in Somerset. With the challenges of the down-turned economy, we now operate at about 200 employees.

Emerging Public Health Initiatives

Looking to the future, we keep our eyes on emerging public health strategies. Click the following links to learn how we are engaging with some emerging key public health initiatives.

Historic Standards

Historically, as we have worked with our community partners to improve health via policy development and partnerships, our Community Health Improvement Plans reflect that we have looked to the Healthy People 2030 and Surgeon General’s Priorities to set health targets and to identify nationally recommended strategies.

Helpful Links & Additional Information

Here are the links for you to learn more about public health accreditation.

• American Public Health Association (APHA)
• Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
• Kentucky Department for Public Health (DPH)
• Kentucky Health Departments Association (KHDA)
• Kentucky Public Health Association (KPHA)
• National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)
• National Association of Local Boards of Health (NALBOH)
• Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB)

Board of Health Member Resources
LCDHD is pleased to host this and the supporting pages on behalf of the Kentucky Association of Local Boards of Health (KALBOH).
Emerging Public Health Initiatives
Looking to the future, we keep our eyes on emerging public health strategies. Click below to learn how we are engaging with some recent key public health initiatives.
The 10 Essential Services of Public Health
We delve into the three core functions of public health and what they mean – for the public and specifically for future public health professionals.