UC alumnus named Hamilton County health commissioner

By Adam Cline

University of Cincinnati graduate Greg Kesterman has been named health commissioner for Hamilton County Public Health.

His experiences as an undergraduate in UC's College of Arts and Sciences, majoring in environmental studies, helped his career by giving him “the opportunity to explore and develop my interests while interacting with a diverse group of instructors and fellow students,” Kesterman says.

He graduated from UC in 2002 and later earned a master's in public administration.

Kesterman has "always been interested in our environment, and the things we can do to make it healthier and safer," he says, but also credits his success in part to several supportive UC professors who further inspired his love for science and improving the environment.

Kesterman has accepted his role as a health commissioner during a challenging and difficult crisis. But he remains upbeat.

“Our work has given me the opportunity to interact and work with a broad range of partners – from local government to healthcare to state-wide leadership. These are people that, without the pandemic, may have taken several years to develop working relationships with,” Kesterman says.

Kesterman said he is proud of his team’s “comprehensive and exhausting” work on COVID-19.

“I am truly in awe of the work this team continues to do to keep Hamilton County safe and healthy," he says.

His agency is focused on addressing the pandemic, he says.

He describes it as an “all-hands-on-deck approach” and predicts it will remain so for some time. But once the pandemic is under control, either through vaccination or medical treatment, Kesterman says he looks “forward to continuing our work to address racial disparities in health and access to health care.”

The coronavirus has changed everything about how we live our lives and will continue to change our lives for a while, Kesterman says. But there are simple things everyone can do that are effective at reducing the spread, such as physical distancing, wearing facemasks and washing your hands.

UC students can help reduce the spread of the disease, he says.

“We are seeing the greatest increases in case numbers among our younger cohorts,” says Kesterman. “While we know that the young tend to fare better than the elderly when dealing with COVID-19, the opportunity to transmit the virus to our parents, grandparents and others is exacerbated by the more mobile nature of younger age groups.”

Because of this, Kesterman says, UC students can take charge by reducing close contact at large gatherings and adhering to other simple guidelines.

“COVID-19, like other pandemics in history, will eventually go away – hopefully, sooner rather than later," Kesterman says. "In the meantime, we are counting on the student body to be leaders in safe practices to help us get this under control.”

Featured image at top: The iconic John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge in front of the Cincinnati skyline. Photo/emilyd3/Pixabay