UofL professor leading Louisville's charge against coronavirus

If the person often standing next to Mayor Greg Fischer and providing regular updates on the city’s COVID-19 response looks familiar, that’s because she’s part of Card Nation.

Dr. Sarah Moyer is the director of the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness and the chief health strategist for the city of Louisville. She’s also an assistant professor of Health Management and Systems Sciences in UofL’s School of Public Health & Information Sciences.

Though the novel coronavirus pandemic is certainly on a different level than what she -- or anyone in her field -- is used to, Moyer is no stranger to leading the charge to affect better health outcomes for the city of Louisville. She’s a board-certified family physician who works with all sectors of the community to affect policy, systems and environmental changes. She spearheaded the creation of Louisville’s successful syringe exchange program in 2015, for example, to slow the transmission of HIV and hepatitis C cases in the state.

During the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak earlier this month, the Courier Journal published a feature about Moyer and her work as it pertains to this specific crisis. In that story, SPHIS Dean Craig Blakely praised her ability to “adapt to public health situations.”

“In these settings, like what’s happening now, quick movement is essential to being successful,” he said. “It’s the same as Ebola – some lost the war, others did really well. It has to do with quick responses.”

Moyer told the publication that she is learning what is working in other places and applying it to the COVID-19 response in Louisville.

“I have faults, but adaptability and solving complex problems are on my strength list,” she told the CJ. “When you’re a mom of four kids, you’ve got to be able to adapt, no matter what comes your way.”

Prior to joining UofL in 2015, Moyer earned degrees from Temple, Wake Forest, Dartmouth and Colorado College.