Somerset, KY – Dr. Joseph Weigel, a respected physician and community leader in Somerset, Kentucky, has been named the recipient of the 2025 Dr. Hossein Fallahzadeh Public Health Hero Award. This honor recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to public health through leadership, dedication, and service to the community. It is awarded each year by the Lake Cumberland District Health Department Board of Health.
Dr. Weigel is a graduate of Somerset High School. He graduated with honors from the University of Louisville and the University of Louisville Medical School. He has been with the Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital since 1984.
Dr. Weigel has made important contributions to the Lake Cumberland District as a physician. A career-long member of the American College of Physicians, he has a passion for teaching and educating young medical professionals. He has taught medical students from all over the state since the early 90s. Dr. Weigel was instrumental in launching the hospital’s Internal Medicine Residency program. He received Outstanding Teaching Awards in 2010 and 2012 from the University of Kentucky Physician’s Assistant Program. In 2016, he received the Clinical Educator of the Year award from the University of Pikeville College of Osteopathic Medicine.
His contributions to the community outside the hospital have had a significant impact. Dr. Weigel was instrumental in helping to establish a Smoke-Free Ordinance in Somerset in 2012. Dr. Weigel was president and founder of Lake Cumberland Runners in 1995 and created The Cumberland Cool Run to help support local high school running programs. The program has expanded to a year-long schedule of races.
One of Dr. Weigel’s most critical contributions was helping kickstart a campaign to ensure all local schools had an automated external defibrillator (AED) available. Through donations from the community, all local schools in Pulaski County received an AED. The AEDs have helped save lives at Southwestern High School, Northern Elementary, and the Center for Economic Development.
When accepting the award, Dr. Weigel stated, “I’m very grateful for this award today. I feel like it truly does say – stand up for your communities, stand up for your patients, stand up for people who are trying to do things the right way, and make an effort every day to do the same.”
“I’m very pleased that Dr. Weigel was selected as this year’s winner,” said LCDHD Executive Director Amy Tomlinson. “He has been a staunch supporter of public health for decades, and his contribution to improving the lives of the citizens of the Lake Cumberland is immeasurable.”
Nominations are accepted for the award each year on the LCDHD website in February. “Each year, the number of nominees has increased,” said Tomlinson, “and the nominees have been very deserving. We want to see this award continue to grow across the Lake Cumberland District.”
This award is named in honor of its first recipient, the late Dr. Hossein Fallahzadeh, a long-time surgeon in Somerset and member of the District Board of Health.
