Beshear bans sale of products with tianeptine, unapproved drug with opioid-like effects that has caused overdoses and deaths

Some of the products that contain tianeptine
(Photo from Center for Science in the Public Interest)

Gov. Andy Beshear has signed an emergency regulation that bans the sale of products containing tianeptine, an unregulated drug known as “gas station heroin” that produces opioid-like effects, his office announced. The order classifies tianeptine as a Schedule I controlled substance, with no known medical use. 

Tianeptine, which is available online and at retail locations, sometimes in dietary supplements, has been linked to serious harm, overdoses and death, according to the Food and Drug Administration. It is not approved in the U.S. In nations where it is approved, it is marketed as Coaxil or Stablon. In the U.S., it is known as ZaZa, Tianna, TD Red and Pegasus.

"Side effects from abusing or misusing tianeptine by itself or with other drugs, like antidepressants or anti-anxiety medications, include agitation, drowsiness, confusion, sweating, rapid heartbeat, high blood pressure, nausea, vomiting, slowed or stopped breathing, coma and death," Beshear's office said in a news release.

The FDA says eports of bad reactions to tianeptine, and unwanted effects from it, are increasing. "Some companies are illegally marketing and selling products containing tianeptine to consumers," FDA says. "They are also making dangerous and unproven claims that tianeptine can improve brain function and treat anxiety, depression, pain, opioid use disorder, and other conditions." The agency also says people with a history of opioid-use disorder or dependence may be at greater risk of abusing tianeptine.

Beshear said in the release, “Until now, someone looking for a heroin-like high could walk into certain places or buy this harmful product online. We’re committed to protecting Kentuckians from this kind of harm, and if someone is struggling with abuse, we’re here to help.”

Resources for addiction and recovery include FindHelpNowKY, the Kentucky Help Call Center (833-8KY-HELP) and the Kentucky Opioid Response Effort, or KORE.

All 45 and older should be screened for colon cancer, earlier if you have family history of it; Ky. has made much progress against it

Colon Cancer Prevention Project graphic

Ky. Health News

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, which serves to remind everyone who is 45 and older – or is younger than 45 with a family history of colon cancer – to get screened.

That's because colorectal cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in Kentucky and often doesn't cause any symptoms, especially in early stages when the only way to detect it is through screening, says Dr. Avinash Bhakta, a colorectal surgeon at the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center. 

The Colon Cancer Prevention Project says regular screening is recommended to begin at 45 for people who do not have a family member who has had colon cancer and/or polyps. Those who have a family history of colon cancer should get a colonoscopy at age 40 or earlier. 

For those without a family history of colon cancer, two types of tests are recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force: visual exams (primarily colonoscopies) and stool-based tests that check a stool sample for signs of cancer. 

UK's Bhakta writes that while colonoscopy is the gold standard for screening that must be done in a clinic or hospital under sedation, stool-based tests offer an alternative that is less invasive and can be more accessible. 

Stool-based tests check for blood and/or abnormal DNA in the stool, and can be done in the privacy of your own home, Bhakta notes. The test is then returned to a doctor or mailed to a laboratory for testing. All at-home tests need to be repeated every year, and any positive findings will require a follow-up colonoscopy.

Colonoscopies involve finding pre-cancerous lesions and removing them before they turn into cancer, and that means that most cases of colorectal cancer are considered preventable. Screenings also allow physicians to find cancer at an earlier stage when it is more treatable.

And as Bhakta wrote in her headline,  "The best screening test is the one you take." 

Colorectal screening in Kentucky

Kentucky has made great progress when it comes to getting Kentuckians screened for colon cancer.

"Twenty years ago, Kentucky had the highest colorectal cancer incidence and mortality rates in the U.S., as well as the second-lowest colorectal cancer screening rate," Elizabeth Chapin reports for UK. "Today, thanks to the coordinated efforts of state agencies and organizations, these dire statistics have turned around. Since 2002, colorectal cancer screenings have doubled in Kentucky, which has led to a more than 30% decrease in incidence and mortality rates."

Much of this success is due to efforts made by the Kentucky Cancer Consortium in collaboration with several major cancer groups that worked to make colorectal screenings more accessible to Kentuckians.

"What we've seen happen with colorectal cancer rates in Kentucky over the past two decades is truly a public health success story," Thomas Tucker, the Markey Cancer Center's senior director for cancer surveillance, told Chapin. "It goes to show that significant change can happen when we work together and coordinate our efforts."

Chapin reports that the KCC and its partners' efforts inspired an initiative to encourage primary care physicians to recommend and schedule colorectal cancer screenings. It also brought about two successful Kentucky bills: the first, approved in 2002, requires all health insurers in Kentucky to cover the cost of screening for age-eligible patients; the second, passed in 2008, established the Kentucky Colon Cancer Screening Program to screen uninsured age-eligible patients and educate the public about the importance of being screened.

These initiatives helped move the state's colorectal cancer screening rates from 49th in the nation to 20th.

"The results have saved thousands of lives," Tucker told Chapin. "To put it into perspective, today, 650 fewer Kentuckians are diagnosed and 270 fewer die from colorectal cancer each year than in 2001."

The Kentucky Cancer Program has also worked with KCC to increase screening rates by fostering community colon cancer screening programs, Chapin writes.

"The KCP's success in increasing colorectal cancer screening rates is attributed to working within communities at the local level," said KCP-East Director Mindy Rogers. "As residents of the areas they serve, our specialists have an understanding of their communities and the particular barriers they face when it comes to cancer screenings, treatment and care."

Despite Kentucky's progress, Chapin reports that roughly a third of eligible Kentuckians still do not seek colorectal cancer screenings due to health, socioeconomic and education disparities. 

She adds that the KCP team is collaborating with community partners to identify resources that can help overcome barriers such as transportation and family care.

Both the KCC and KCP model has led to a similar screening effort around lung cancer, including legislation to create the lung cancer screening program in the Kentucky Department for Public Health. 

"There’s more work to do because the goal is to be ranked number one in the nation for screening rates,” Tucker told Chapin.  “But Kentucky has a number of barriers not faced by many other states and together, we’ve made some remarkable change in the face of these incredible challenges.”

Seats available at Mar. 28 Recovery in the Workplace Conference

Author Sam Quiñones at an earlier Chamber conference

The Kentucky Chamber of Commerce is hosting its fifth annual Recovery in the Workplace Conference March 28 at the Marriot Griffin Gate Resort in Lexington and still has seats available.

 
The conference will feature best-selling author and journalist Sam Quiñones, who will share his experiences as a reporter covering the evolution of gangs, immigration, the southern border, drug trafficking, addiction and related issues over 35 years.

"I think that when you attend these kinds of things, you're able to share and you’re able to learn, you take that back to your own community, and that is a huge benefit," Quiñones said about the conference on Twitter. His latest book, The Least of Us, focuses on the rise of synthetic drugs in the opioid epidemic.

Members of the Kentucky Chamber Foundation team will speak about various initiatives in which employers can get involved to most effectively recruit and retain individuals in recovery. Topics will include an update on the status of substance use in the Kentucky workplace, programs that have led to long-term success for people in recovery, entrepreneurial opportunities that have led to improved recovery outcomes in Kentucky, issues of reentry specific to employment, and more. 

The Recovery Consortium of Kentucky will hold its 2023 Recovery Hall of Fame ceremony to recognize people in long-term recovery and those who have taken a leading role in addressing Kentucky’s addiction crisis through efforts for prevention, treatment, education, and advocacy.

The awards and recipients include: the Congressman Hal Rogers Award, going to Van Ingram, executive director of the state Office of Drug Control Policy; the Jay Davidson Award, to Charlotte Wethington (mother of the namesake of Casey’s Law); the Employer of the Year Award, to Toyotomi America Corp.; and a special award to Jeff Whitehead, executive director of the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program (EKCEP). 

Isaiah House Treatment Center presents the event. Click here to register.

New coronavirus cases dropped again last week in Kentucky, but state-recorded deaths from Covid-19 had another weekly increase

N.Y. Times map of new-case rates has Menifee County as a hot spot.

By Melissa Patrick
Ky. Health News

Last week, new coronavirus cases in Kentucky dropped 20 percent from the week before, but deaths from Covid-19 increased again. 

The state Department for Public Health attributed 66 more deaths to Covid-19 last week, up from 47 the week before and 13 the week before that. The state's pandemic death toll is now 18,243. 

The state reports there were 2,044 new cases of the coronavirus last week, or 292 cases per day. That's a drop from 2,572 the week before. 

The weekly new case rate was 6.17 cases per 100,000 people, down a bit from 6.39 the week before. The top 10 counties were Bath, 18.29 cases per 100,000; Rockcastle, 16.26; Lyon, 13.92; Powell, 13.87; Hopkins, 11.83; Webster, 11.04; Mason, 10.04; Wolfe, 9.98; Hardin, 9.91; and Fleming, 9.8.

The New York Times ranks Kentucky's case rate 12th among the states, with a 41% drop in cases in the last two weeks.

Get prepared now for Medicaid renewals, Kentucky

By Kennan Wethington
President, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Kentucky

When Covid-19 hit three years ago, the federal government responded with a series of actions made possible by declaring a public health emergency. One of these actions was to freeze a process called Medicaid renewal, allowing Medicaid members to remain in their plans regardless of status or eligibility changes. That will all change in the coming weeks.

Screenshot of Anthem video explaining the renewal process

260,000 Kentuckians Could Lose Coverage: Recent federal legislation ended continuous enrollment in Medicaid, allowing renewals to begin on April 1. As a result, the extended health coverage for some on Medicaid will end, with disenrollments expected as soon as June 1. Here in the commonwealth, up to 260,000 people and as many as 18 million across the country could be affected.

The good news for those losing Medicaid coverage is that new subsidies may make Marketplace health plans more affordable than ever. In addition, many helpful resources are available to guide people to the coverage and support they need. With Medicaid renewal resuming, now is the time to begin preparing.

Start planning now: Here’s a checklist for all Medicaid beneficiaries to get ready for Medicaid renewal:

1) Make sure Kentucky’s Department for Medicaid Services has your current contact information by visiting kynect.ky.gov or call kynect at 855-4KYNECT (855-459-6328).

2) Watch closely for letters and information from Kentucky Medicaid and respond to them quickly.

3) Visit the Kentucky Health Benefit Exchange for help understanding Medicaid eligibility changes: khbe.ky.gov/Enrollment/Pages/PHEUnwinding.aspx 

4) Even if you still qualify for coverage, you may receive renewal instructions from Kentucky Medicaid. Make sure to follow instructions carefully.

5) If you don’t qualify, start making plans now to find affordable health plans through your employer or the Marketplace. Don’t let your coverage lapse.

A change of employment will be a common reason many Kentuckians will no longer qualify for Medicaid plans. The next step for people in this situation is to talk to their employer to determine if they are eligible for employer-sponsored health benefits. If employer-based health plans are not an option, an Affordable Care Act health plan through the Kentucky Health Benefit Exchange is likely the best choice for health coverage.

There are options if you lose Medicaid: If you no longer qualify for Medicaid coverage and employer-sponsored plans are not an option, understanding health coverage choices available through the Health Insurance Marketplace and how to enroll can take some time to sort out. That’s where we come in – those of us in the community dedicated to connecting people to quality, affordable health care. Two helpful sources are:

• The Kentucky Health Benefit Exchange, at khbe.ky.gov, is full of information, resources, agents, and health coverage guides called kynectors who can answer questions and help you understand your coverage options.
• HealthCare.gov is another warehouse of information, quick start guides as well as connections to healthcare navigators and brokers in each community.

All these information tools, agencies, and surprisingly affordable health plan options work together, making sure no one falls through the gaps.

Health care can still be affordable and equitable: The Affordable Care Act led to the creation of health plans that go beyond basic coverage, yet remain affordable even for those who don’t qualify for Medicaid and lack access to employer-sponsored coverage. Marketplace plans cover essential health benefits, including emergency services, prescription drugs and pediatric services, and they offer no cost preventive care. This means consumers pay nothing for important services such as regular wellness visits, immunizations and screenings. These services are key to avoiding and managing serious health conditions.

Marketplace plans are often more affordable than ever because federal subsidies have been expanded through 2025 to help keep costs down for consumers. Most people covered by these plans receive a federal subsidy, and in fact, some families that qualify for subsidies will pay nothing for coverage. If you did not previously qualify for subsidies, you may now be eligible.

Let’s stick together, Kentucky: More than ever, the last three years taught us that health is a group effort, and that equitable, affordable access to healthcare is vital to our physical, mental, and financial well-being. We learned that our health is interconnected not just to each other as Kentuckians, but also to our commonwealth’s entire economy. We’re at a pivotal moment, let’s not lose the momentum we’ve gained. If you’re impacted by Medicaid renewals, please start preparing now to keep you and your family protected with health coverage that works for you.

How to create a successful fitness plan this spring

Photo from PeopleImages | iStock / Getty Images Plus

By Dr. Robert G. Hosey

University of Kentucky

Scientists have found that regular participation in aerobic exercise has been shown to decrease levels of stress, stabilize mood, improve sleep and improve self-esteem. Just five minutes of aerobic exercise can help alleviate and stimulate anti-anxiety effects. Here are some tips to create a successful fitness plan this year.

Preliminary checks: Before you start working up a sweat, schedule a visit to your doctor to gauge on your overall health. Discuss any aches, pains or limitations that might impact your plans to get active. Your doctor can also assess your cardiovascular health and help you understand how and when to increase your exercise intensity.

Make a plan: Exercise should be planned for a time in the day when you feel rested and have the most energy. If you are planning to exercise outside, avoid extreme temperatures (warmer than 85 degrees F or colder than 32 degrees F). Remember to dress appropriately for the weather and wear comfortable, supportive footwear. An indoor contingency plan for exercise can help you stay active even during spring showers.

Don’t forget to warm up and cool down: Aerobic exercise, such as walking or biking, is recommended for those getting started with a new routine. Your exercise session should start with a warm-up period of slow walking or low-resistance bicycling and end with a cool-down segment at similar intensity.

At the end of exercise, stretch the major muscle groups used by holding each stretch for 20-30 seconds. This can minimize injury and fatigue and increase flexibility.

Make it manageable: Begin your exercise routine with an amount of time that is manageable, something as short as a five-minute walk around the neighborhood. Once you’re comfortable exercising for that long, slowly increase the duration of your sessions.

Don’t push yourself too hard, either. You should be able to maintain a conversation at all times of exercise without experiencing breathlessness.

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate: Drinking water is important, especially when you’re exercising more. Staying hydrated helps your muscles work more efficiently and helps your heart pump blood more easily. Make sure to drink plenty of water before you exercise — it’ll help your body perform at its best.

Buy a durable water bottle and carry it with you at work and when you run errands. Having a water bottle by your side will remind you to drink throughout the day.

Have fun: Exercise shouldn’t be a slog, so make sure you’re doing something that you enjoy and makes you feel good. A successful start of a new routine will keep you motivated to continue and progress.

Fitness trackers and fitness apps are additional options to stay engaged and monitor progress. Enlisting a companion for exercise will add an element of support and keep the activity enjoyable.

Robert Hursey, M.D., is physician with UK HealthCare Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine and professor of family and community medicine in the UK College of Medicine.

Bill would address health-care workforce shortage with public-private fund to help Kentuckians enter health-related professions

By Melissa Patrick
Kentucky Health News

In response to Kentucky's health-care workforce shortages, the legislature has sent Gov. Andy Beshear a bill to create a fund with private and public money to help more Kentuckians pursue health-related careers.

Rep. Ken Fleming

"This is a growing crisis that threatens not only to burden families and providers, but may jeopardize the very availability of critical health care services across the country," Rep. Ken Fleming, R-Louisville, said in presenting the bill to the House March 8. 

The need for health-care workers in Kentucky is well-documented. 

The Kentucky Hospital Association's 2022 Workforce Survey Report cited 13,423 total vacancies in Kentucky hospitals, including 5,391 for RNs and LPNs combined, or more than one in five nursing positions. Other top vacancies included respiratory therapists (17.7%), laboratory staff (14.2%), environmental services (13.7%) and social workers (13.7%).

The report says urban hospitals had larger vacancy rates than rural hospitals, at 18.3% and 13.8% respectively, but both rates are "unsustainable."

The Eastern Kentucky Healthcare Action Plan by Shaping Our Appalachian Region says the region’s turnover rates in vital health-care roles are statistically at or above the national turnover rate of 19.5%. In 2021 it was 24.6%. Further, it says healthcare jobs are responsible for 17.6% of Eastern Kentucky's economy, more than any other industry in the region, and that thousands of jobs remain unfilled.

Fleming's House Bill 200 aims to address this shortage by creating the Kentucky Health Care Workforce Investment Fund. It would use public and private money to increase scholarship opportunities.

Fleming told the House that this "innovative and creative" approach "puts a jetpack on the health-care training pipeline." 

The fund will be administered by the Council on Postsecondary Education, with 65% of it to be used for educational scholarships and 35% to be used to incentivize universities and training programs. 

Money from the fund can be used for a wide range of certified and licensed health-care professions, including nurses, mental-health professionals and emergency medical professionals, to name a few. 

The bill says the money can be used to "improve racial and ethnic diversity within a specific designated healthcare credential."

Legislature passes bill aimed at preventing doctors' burnout by saying they don't have to report seeking mental-health treatment

Photo from Getty Images via Kentucky Lantern

By Sarah Ladd
Kentucky Lantern

A bill aimed at preventing burnout among physicians has cleared both chambers of the General Assembly. Senate Bill 12 unanimously cleared the Senate in late February and the House on Monday.

The legislation would protect Kentucky doctors who seek mental-health help from wellness programs by stating they do not need to report their participation in such a program and can't be dismissed for not reporting it. It does not mean that physicians don’t need to report conditions that have the potential to hinder their judgment, the Lantern previously reported.

Doctors who testified in committee in favor of the bill said burnout among doctors can lead to lower patient satisfaction, low morale, high turnover, increased rates of substance abuse and even suicide.

The bill's primary sponsor, Sen. Donald Douglas, R-Nicholasville, is a physician. He has testified that being able to access private help for stress “without fear of retaliation” is “imperative” for Kentucky’s doctors.

Rep. Killian Timoney, R-Nicholasville, in presentoing the bill to the House, sid it would “have a significant impact for Kentucky physicians.”

“Like many professions over the last few years,” Timoney said, “physicians have seen significant increases in work-related stress both due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the overall demanding nature of their work.”

He said SB 12 will help address this by encouraging doctors to get mental health help when they need it — and promising them confidentiality when they do so.

There was no discussion before a unanimous and bipartisan House vote. The bill now heads to Gov. Andy Beshear’s desk for a signature or veto.

Beshear gets bill to regulate Delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol

UPDATE, March 23: Gov. Andy Beshear has signed the bill into law.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention photo

By Melissa Patrick

Kentucky Health News

In response to a court decision that deemed products containing Delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol to be legal, a bill to regulate products with the substance has passed both houses of the General Assembly without dissent and has gone to Gov. Andy Beshear for final action. 

“The Kentucky hemp program is a staple for our agricultural community, but the selling and usage of unregulated THC is a danger to every Kentuckian who may use it,” Rep. Rebecca Raymer, R-Morgantown, the bill's sponsor, said in a news release. “These products have no standards for production. If someone were to purchase Delta-8, they have no way of determining if it is safe. This measure will both protect our consumers and enhance the industry.”

According to WebMD, Delta-8 THC is a naturally occurring chemical compound called a cannabinoid that's found in small traces in hemp and marijuana plants. Its chemical structure is similar to that of Delta-9 THC, the main psychoactive compound found in marijuana. Delta-8 causes a milder high than Delta-9. It can generally be purchased anywhere that sells CDB products, including gas stations, convenience stores and vape shops. 

House Bill 544, sponsored by Raymer, directs the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to begin the process of regulating Delta-8 THC and any other hemp-derived substances by Aug. 1. 

The bill also makes it illegal for people under 21 to purchase Delta-8 THC products, requires retailers to keep the products behind a counter, and sets guidelines for labeling. It establishes a testing and approval process that products must clear before they can be sold or distributed in the state.

"These are just our recommendations of what we think should be included in it, and I think the hemp industry would like to be at the table to come up with the final recommendations of maybe what the testing and the thresholds would look like," Raymer told a House committee March 9.

Kentucky Hemp Association President Katie Moyer and Commonwealth Extracts CEO John Taylor endorsed the bill at the same committee meeting.

Taylor said, "Every valid actor wants these types of regulations. It gets rid of the bad actors that make it hard to compete. It costs a lot of money to do the right thing, and when we have people making things in bathrooms and basements and barns it really makes it very hard to compete on a legitimate level." 

The Senate changed the bill to say that if a Kentucky producer is shipping a Delta-8 THC product to a state with testing requirements, the producer can defer to that state's requirements, but if shipping to a state with no testing requirements, they should abide by Kentucky's regulations. The House agreed.

Gov. Andy Beshear is expected to sign the bill. He issued an executive order in November 2022 directing the health cabinet to regulate Delta-8 THC following the court ruling in Boone County last year. His order was coupled with one using his pardon power to allow people with certain medical conditions and a doctor's certificate to possess up to 8 ounces of cannabis bought legally in another state.

George Rawlings, who founded industry that recovers health-care costs from patients who get settlements or judgments, dies at 77

George Rawlings

George Rawlings, who made a fortune by starting an industry that recovers health-care providers' costs of caring for patients who later get settlements or verdicts for injuries from accidents and defective products, died Thursday of the blood cancer multiple myeloma. He was 77.

"His foundation’s tax records show he and his company gave away millions to both sectarian charities and evangelical causes, including youth camps in 13 underdeveloped countries and to the late Rev. Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University, where the divinity school is named for the Rawlings family," reports Andrew Wolfson of the Courier Journal. "He also gave generously to local causes, including $1 million to Baptist Hospital in La Grange and $100,000 apiece to the city of La Grange and Oldham County, when both were experiencing budget troubles."

In a 2018 profile, Wolfson described Rawlings as “probably the richest Kentuckian you never heard of.” His company, the Rawlings Group, is based in LaGrange and employs 1,600 people. Its customers pay it 20 percent of the amount recovered in a process known as subrogation. "Critics have called the subrogation practice cruel because severely injured people can lose most or even all of a settlement — money they counted on to defray lost wages or to compensate for pain and suffering," Wolfson writes. "Rawlings has said the recoveries his firm made reduced health-insurance costs."

UPDATE, March 24: Celebrations of Rawlings' life were held March 23 and 24 in La Grange. Memorial gifts may be made to the Rawlings Foundation, PO Box 794, La Grange KY 40031.

Vast majority of Kentucky continues to have low risk of Covid-19

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention maps, adapted by Kentucky Health News

By Melissa Patrick
Kentucky Health News

All but 10 of Kentucky's 120 counties have a low risk of Covid-19 infection on the latest federal risk map, and Menifee County is the only one considered to have a high risk.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention risk map, which considers both new cases and Covid-19 hospital numbers, shows Menifee as the only high-risk county, in orange. Counties with a medium risk of transmission are in yellow, and those with a low risk are in green.

Counties with medium risk are Harrison and Robertson; Elliott, Morgan and Rowan (the latter two border Menifee); and Clay, Knox, Laurel and Whitley.

In high-risk counties, the CDC continues to recommend that you wear a well-fitting, high-quality mask in public indoor spaces, and if you are at high risk of getting very sick, consider avoiding non-essential indoor activities in public where you could be exposed.

If you live in a medium or high-risk county, the CDC advises those who are at high risk of getting very sick to wear a well-fitting mask when indoors and in public and to consider getting tested before having social contact with someone at high risk for getting very sick and consider wearing a mask when indoors when you are with them.

In the last seven days, The New York Times ranks Kentucky's new-case rate 13th among the states, with a 41% drop in cases in the last two weeks. The Times has Menifee County's rate at 6.6 per 10,000 residents and the state's rate at 0.9 per 10,000 (or 9 per 100,000).

To enlarge any image, click on it; to download, right-click.

The CDC also provides a community transmission level map, largely used by researchers and health-care facilities, that shows the level of virus in each county, at one of four levels. The map shows six counties with low levels of transmission and 62 with a medium level; the rest have either substantial or high risk.

Stephanie Mayfield Gibson, who was health commissioner for Steve Beshear, is new board chair of Trust for America's Health

Dr. Stephanie Mayfield Gibson

Dr. Stephanie Mayfield Gibson, who was state health commissioner in 2012-15, is the new board chair of the Trust for America's Health, which defines itself as "a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to saving lives by protecting the health of every community and working to make disease prevention a national priority."

Mayfield Gibson, who lives in Memphis, is a board-certified anatomic and clinical pathologist. In 2012, Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear named her the first African American and first woman public-health commissioner in Kentucky. She had been director of laboratory services in the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. 

When Republican Gov. Matt Bevin took office, Mayfield Gibson became senior vice president and chief medical officer for population health at KentuckyOne Health, which operated several Catholic hospitals and Louisville's Jewish Hospital. She was associate chief of staff and staff pathologist at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Louisville.

In 2020-22, Mayfield Gibson was director of Covid-19 response for Resolve to Save Lives, founded by Dr. Thomas Frieden, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It provided guidance and technical support to local and state health departments, other partners and federal agencies.