The KHDA Local Health Department User Forum

 Introduction 

The Kentucky Health Department Association’s (KHDA’s) User Forum is an invitation only, password protected, web-based interactive environment where local health department (LHD) employees can post and/or answer questions and share innovations, tips and suggestions.

 By joining the forum, each user agrees to use it appropriately as detailed below.     

How to Join the KHDA User Forum 

If you would like to join the KHDA Local Health Department User Forum, you must request approval from your Local Health Department Director, who will submit an email request to join the forum on your behalf. Local Health Department Directors are responsible for vetting anyone requesting to join the forum and should not approve someone with the potential to use the forum inappropriately.

 The request should include:

 ·         the employee’s name,

 ·         official work email address,

 ·         and the category/categories to which the employee wishes to be assigned. 

From there, the appropriate category administrator will send a link via the provided email address to the employee to join the forum. Your director should submit the email request on your behalf to one of the forum’s administrators listed below:

           Accreditation/QI/Compliance Officers -- Katrina Howard @ katrinaa.howard@ky.gov

           Administrative Assistants --  Laura Foley @ laura.foley@ky.gov 

           Dental Hygienist -- Kimberly Harris @ kimberlyd.harris@ky.gov

           Environmental Directors -- Jackie Cole @ raymondj.cole@ky.gov

           Epi/Preparedness --  Blake Johnson @ blakeD.Johnson@ky.gov

           Finance – Lisa Pollock @ lisa.pollock@ltdhd.org  

           Home Health -- Judy Broughton @ judym.broughton@ky.gov

           Human Resources – Becki Casey @ becki.casey@ky.gov

           Information Technology – Brian Ramsey @ brian.ramsey@lcdhd.org 

           LHD Directors -- Shawn Crabtree @ shawnd.crabtree@lcdhd.org 

           Nursing Administrators -- Stephanie Bentley @ stephanier.bentley@ky.gov

·         KHDA Forum Quick Start Guide for Users: Click Here 

 ·         KHDA Forum Administrator Guide: Click Here

How to Access the User Forum

To access the forum Click Here.  Please note you must have an account.

What the KHDA User Forum Is 

The KHDA User Forum is a place to:

 ·         share information,

 ·         generate professional, constructive conversations, 

·         spur and/or share innovations, 

·         provide professional networking opportunities with like-minded peers,

 ·         and, to provide a location where questions can be posted and answered.   

What the KHDA User Forum Is Not 

The KHDA User Forum is intended for public, professional discussions about public health issues and how to better accomplish the day-to-day duties required of local health department staff. Therefore, the forum is not:

 ·         A Coaching/Mentoring Solution While the networking opportunities provided through the forum may connect people to others who are willing to provide coaching/mentoring, the forum itself is not intended for such. 

·         A Complex Teaching Solution/Training Module While the forum encourages the posting of general “how to” questions, it is not a place to learn how to “do your job”. The forum assumes you are well-educated and adequately trained in your area of expertise. Instead, the forum should be a place to share ideas and innovations, and to post and discuss basic “how to” questions. 

·         A Blog Site The KHDA User Forum is a “professional forum” not a personal blog site. The KHDA User Forum is not a place to discuss politics or religion, for example, or to air personal grievances.

 ·         A Social Media Site While the networking opportunity should nurture professional relationships, the forum is not a place to, for example, socialize, discuss non-work-related issues, to share family photos or to seek out romantic relationships.

 ·         A Place for Destructive Criticism The KHDA User Forum is not the place to offer destructive criticisms of or to make derogatory comments about your peers, your boss, your employer, the Department for Public Health, or the state or federal government.  

How the KHDA User Forum Works 

When you are approved to join the forum, you will be assigned to a group and category which best fits your job area (in some instances, you may request and be approved to join multiple categories). Categories may include areas such as: 

·         human resources,

 ·         information technology, 

·         finance and administration,

 ·         HANDS, 

·         nursing,

 ·         or, clerical. 

The categories in the forum are expandable and additional areas may be created. 

Once you have joined the forum, you are free to review and respond to posted topics, or to post new topics for discussion.

 If you so choose, you may set up your forum user account in such a way to receive email updates when forum topics are posted.