Harrison County pediatrician urges families to emphasize proper hand washing as school year begins

With Kentucky’s 2026 back-to-school season underway, health providers in Harrison County are urging families to focus on hand washing as a basic step to help reduce the spread of germs in classrooms and other shared settings, according to a report from LEX18 on Aug. 13, 2026.

The message was delivered by pediatrician Dr. Faith Louthan, who is affiliated with Harrison Memorial Hospital. Louthan’s reminder centers on the expectation that children and caregivers will take time to wash hands thoroughly, especially at key moments during the day when exposure to germs is more likely.

Louthan’s guidance is directed both to parents and to children returning to in-person instruction. The emphasis, as described in the report, is that hand hygiene should be done correctly rather than treated as a quick routine, with careful scrubbing presented as part of everyday school readiness.

The call comes as schools reopen or resume for the year and students begin spending longer periods in close contact with classmates, staff, and other community members. In that environment, health providers say habits that slow transmission can matter for keeping students in school and families from being hit by preventable illness.

Beyond the home, hand washing is intended to carry through to school-related activities such as arriving on campus, eating snacks or meals, and using shared facilities. The report frames the effort as a simple, community-level action that families can apply immediately without waiting for broader changes.

The update also reflects a broader public health approach that focuses on everyday preventive behaviors, including hygiene practices that can reduce illness spread in common gathering places. In Harrison County, the message is being reinforced by a local pediatric clinician during the period when families are most likely to be adjusting routines for the school schedule.

For parents weighing what to emphasize with children, Louthan’s instruction, as reported by LEX18, is to treat proper hand washing as a concrete behavior. That includes teaching children to wash carefully and consistently, then making it part of the daily routine as the school year progresses.

Harrison Memorial Hospital and the pediatrician’s outreach described in the report are aimed at improving illness prevention at the family and school level during a time when respiratory and stomach-related infections commonly circulate, particularly among children who are newly exposed to larger groups.