GOING THE DISTANCE
( continued from page 13 ) this prepared me well for medical school and a career as a physician .
As a family physician , I found that a lot of my practice involved motivating patients to make changes in their behavior such as starting a new medication , quitting smoking or losing weight . Thanks to my coach and my team , I understood well that different people are motivated by different things and I had a lot of practice cheering people on . I also had a lot of practice making minor adjustments , constantly trying to improve and trying new things until I got it right . This helped me to not get discouraged and enabled me to keep searching for solutions to help my patients live their healthiest lives .
Ultimately this search led me to public health because it ’ s ineffective to try to motivate a patient to eat more fresh foods if they don ’ t have access to a grocery store . It ’ s not helpful to motivate a patient who lives in an unsafe neighborhood to go outside and exercise . We know that systemic solutions are needed but trying to change the system can sometimes leave you feeling bruised . I ’ m grateful that I learned how to keep climbing back up on the diving board and I ’ m proud of everything the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness accomplished under my leadership , including making Louisville ’ s indoor smoking ban more comprehensive , opening the state ’ s first harm reduction program and expanding our Center for Health Equity .
In 2020 , when I found myself standing at a podium , with a row of TV cameras pointed at me , getting ready to speak about the COVID-19 pandemic , it was like standing on the 3-meter platform for the first time . I hadn ’ t had to do much public speaking before and I was nervous , but I knew how to move forward despite my anxiety . Every day for months , I kept moving forward , improving my speaking little by little over time until eventually I stopped looking nervous . In 2021 , I was presented with the Communicator of the Year award by the Bluegrass Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America , and it felt like piercing the water with perfect form .
As I begin a new phase in my career this summer , I ’ m not sure what tomorrow will bring , but I know in my heart that I can master whatever challenges I may face . I ’ m thrilled to climb a new ladder , walk to the edge of a new board and dive in .
Dr . Sarah Moyer served as the city ’ s Chief Health Strategist and the Director of Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and now begins a new adventure as Chief Medical Officer for Humana ’ s Medicaid business in Kentucky – Humana Healthy Horizons .
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