Courtney T. Austin, MS is a dedicated public health professional with experience in harm reduction and data management, with over 6 years of experience. He currently serves as the Harm Reduction Epidemiologist for the Harm Reduction Branch at the Kentucky Department for Public Health (KDPH) and manages data for local health departments syringe service programs.
In his position as Harm Reduction Epidemiologist, he strategizes using local health departments data collection services to implement effective campaigns for treating individuals who use substances. He strives to produce stories using the data provided to make sure that every piece of policy, program, and strategy implemented by the Harm Reduction Brach is backed by data. Creating reports, increasing efficiency, and reducing redundancy are all key components of the work that he does. The production of the Annual Harm Reduction report, dashboards for Quick Response Teams (QRTs), First Responders-Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (FR-CARA), and naloxone distribution statistics help to keep key stakeholders informed.
Courtney previously worked in Data Management Quality Assurance (DMQA) for the Virginia Department of Health where he helped to produce the most accurate data for individuals experiencing Covid19 and Hepatitis C.
At KDPH he originally worked as a Covid19 Epidemiologist to mitigate the spread through several tactics. Courtney assisted in the production of the daily totals to keep public informed and manage the influx of death records.
Courtney always strives to make sure that the data story backs up all aspects of programming to produce effective changes.