2026 Dr. Rice C. Leach Public Health Hero: Dr. Nicholas J. Van Sickels, MD

We’re excited to share that Dr. Nicholas J. Van Sickels, MD, Medical Director of Infection Prevention and Control at the University of Kentucky, has been honored with the 2026 Dr. Rice C. Leach Public Health Hero Award!

Commissioner of Health Dr. Crystal Miller presented the award at the April 30 Urban County Council meeting and Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton proclaimed April 30, 2026 “Dr. Nicholas Van Sickels Day”, recognizing this outstanding physician who is making a real difference in our community.

This award recognizes individuals who demonstrate:

 

    • Exemplary leadership and diligence in promoting public health;

    • Remarkable contributions and support in fostering public health programs; and

    • Work or actions that have positively impacted the community’s health.

 

Dr. Van Sickels has truly gone the extra mile in protecting Lexington and Kentucky residents from infectious disease threats. He provided critical leadership during Jessamine County’s 2026 measles outbreak in an unvaccinated community—handling diagnosis, follow-up, telemonitoring, management, and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), all while navigating a winter storm and holiday weekend.

His impact extends far beyond any single event. Upon returning to Lexington, Dr. Van Sickels cared for the region’s first monkeypox patients and spearheaded a proactive vaccination campaign that has dramatically reduced cases in Kentucky. He also led the creation and implementation of a comprehensive measles testing and post-exposure prophylaxis protocol in partnership with LFCHD, the Kentucky Department for Public Health (KDPH), and UK HealthCare. This meticulous protocol—tested during real outbreaks in 2025 and 2026—has successfully contained measles cases to single digits and single-family households, earning recognition as a national gold standard for infectious disease prevention.

 

Big thanks and congratulations to Dr. Nicholas J. Van Sickels—our 2026 Public Health Hero! Your leadership and commitment during challenging times inspire all of us, and we’re deeply grateful for everything you do to protect our community..

 

 

Previously known as the Public Health Hero Award, the Board of Health renamed the award in 2016 in memory of the late Dr. Rice C. Leach, Lexington’s former Commissioner of Health who spent more than 50 years as a public health physician. Leach died April 1, 2016.