Mayor appoints Dr. Jeff Howard as interim director of Public Health; Dr. Sarah Moyer moving to new role in private sector

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer today announced that Dr. Sarah Moyer, director and chief health strategist of the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness (LMPHW), has accepted a new position as Chief Medical Officer for Humana’s Medicaid business in Kentucky – Humana Healthy Horizons.

“From the get-go, Dr. Moyer was instrumental in leading our Louisville Metro Public Wellness team’s award-winning approaches to improving the health of all our residents, and she has shown those skills as our community navigated a once-in-a-century global pandemic,” the Mayor said. “I want to thank Dr. Moyer for her partnership, and I’m pleased to see her continue to be a leader in our community through her new role at Humana.”

Dr. Moyer was named LMPHW medical director in 2015 and appointed as department director and the city’s chief health strategist in 2017. In addition to leading the city’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Moyer led the department as it achieved national accreditation, established itself as an academic health department, stopped a hepatitis A outbreak, founded the state’s first syringe exchange program, and helped strengthen Louisville’s smoke-free ordinance.

“I’m incredibly excited for this new opportunity, but leaving is bittersweet. LMPHW is like family to me – family devoted to serving a community we love. We've worked together to get to the root of unhealthy and unfair conditions and improve them so that everyone, in every ZIP code can enjoy good health and wellbeing,” said Dr. Moyer. “All four of my children celebrated their first birthdays during my time here, and as I’ve watched them grow, I’ve also seen the LMPHW team grow, both in numbers, and in boldness to tackle tough issues. I’m grateful that Humana is affording me the opportunity to remain in Louisville to improve the health of our community from a different angle.”

“Just as Dr. Moyer has contributed so significantly to the health of the Louisville community, she will now have an opportunity to significantly impact the health of people all across the Commonwealth in her new role as Chief Medical Officer of Humana’s Medicaid operations in Kentucky,” said Jeb Duke, President of Humana-Medicaid in Kentucky. “We are committed to improving health equity all across the Commonwealth, so that all of our citizens are able to live their healthiest lives. It’s part of our approach to ‘human care’ at Humana – providing care that goes beyond what our members expect. We can’t wait for Dr. Moyer to join us.”

Mayor Fischer has appointed Dr. Jeff Howard, LMPHW’s medical director as the city’s interim director and chief health strategist. Since being appointed as medical director in late 2021, Dr. Howard served as a senior leader in the department and helped facilitate external partnerships and support public health initiatives. Before joining LMPHW, Dr. Howard was appointed as a White House Fellow in 2019 where he served as a health policy advisor to the Vice President of the United States. He has also served as the Commissioner for Public Health and Chief Medical Officer of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

He and his wife have two children and reside in Louisville. 

"I look forward to this opportunity to serve my fellow Louisvillians,” said Dr. Howard. “The ongoing pandemic has highlighted the necessity of a strong public health system and the Louisville Metro Public Health and Wellness team has time and again demonstrated the ability to meet that need. I am grateful for their service and to be counted among them. Thank you to Mayor Fischer for entrusting me to lead this impressive and very important organization."

“Dr. Howard’s commitment to equitable health outcomes, paired with his experience at the state and federal levels makes him the right person to lead our Health Department at this critical time,” said the Mayor. “I look forward to continuing our good work together and creating a healthier Louisville for all our residents.”

Dr. Howard will step into his new role on May 27, and Dr. Moyer will begin her new role with Humana on July 5, 2022. She will remain in an advisory role to the Mayor through the end of the fiscal year.