(FRANKFORT, Ky.) – The Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education recognized Kentucky Senate President Senator Robert Stivers, Representative Ken Fleming and Secretary Eric Friedlander with the Innovative Healthcare Leader award for their impact on strengthening the healthcare workforce.
The awards capped off the Council’s inaugural Healthcare Workforce Collaboratory, an event to bring together the state’s leadership in higher education, healthcare, the legislature and workforce development to discuss the challenges and strategies for strengthening the college-to-career pipeline for healthcare workers.
Stivers was honored for his work on Senate Bill 10 and for serving Kentucky by creating a healthy workforce. Dr. Aaron Thompson, president of the CPE, thanked Stivers for being a partner with CPE and all of Kentucky, saying his commitment to postsecondary education has been unmatched.
Fleming was recognized for his work in creating state policy to expand healthcare workforce partnerships.
Friedlander was honored for his assistance in improving healthcare, mental health and student basic needs in Kentucky higher education.
More than 250 participants from across sectors attended the conference. Dr. Leslie Sizemore, assistant vice president of workforce initiatives at CPE, said it was wonderful to celebrate the opportunity for partnerships between higher education and the healthcare industry to better meet the needs of the healthcare workforce for the future.
The conference included a keynote from Dr. Thompson, which addressed the evolution of partnerships between state agencies, higher education institutions and employers to solve the critical shortage of healthcare professionals.
President Thompson, Dr. Leslie Sizemore and Sen. Robert Stivers
President Thompson, Dr. Leslie Sizemore and Sec. Eric Friedlander
President Thompson, Dr. Leslie Sizemore and Rep. Ken Fleming
