David A. Gross has served as director of the Northeast Kentucky Area Health Education Center (NE KY AHEC) since December 2011. His broader role within the NE KY AHEC’s host institution, St. Claire HealthCare in Morehead, KY, is administrative director for education and research, which also includes overseeing graduate medical education programs and managing sponsored grant/research activities.

Under David’s leadership, the NE KY AHEC spearheaded development of the Northeast Kentucky Substance Use Response Coalition, which was selected as the National Rural Health Association’s “Outstanding Rural Health Program” for 2021. David has served as project director/administrator of nine federally funded grants focused on addressing northeastern Kentucky’s opioid crisis and was a panelist on a May 2018 U.S. Department of Agriculture opioid roundtable.

David previously served as editor of the Appalachian News-Express in Pikeville, KY (1998-2002); directed research and community engagement efforts for the University of Kentucky’s Center of Excellence in Rural Health in Hazard, KY (2002-’11); was president of the Kentucky Rural Health Association (2012-’13); and was a member of the National Rural Health Association’s Rural Health Congress (2016-’18). He has given numerous presentations on the Coalition’s opioid-focused efforts at state and national conferences, and blogged about those efforts for the National Rural Health Association’s web site.  

David earned a bachelor of arts degree from Morehead State University (1997, double major in government and journalism) and a master of public administration degree from Eastern Kentucky University (2010, with a concentration in community health administration).

Fun fact: David is a huge fan of the rock and roll band Kiss, having seen them in concert more than a dozen times. No, he does not paint his face for these shows. But he does “Rock and Rock All Nite” and party every day!