Dr. Ronald Levine will receive the Planned Parenthood of Kentucky’s Founders Award at the Birds & Bees Bash fundraiser Friday, August 17, at the Seelbach Hotel. The Founder’s Award is presented to an individual whose life has reflected exceptional dedication and ongoing commitment to assisting Planned Parenthood achieve its mission of providing sexual and reproductive health services, education and advocacy in order to assure that every woman, man or teen is able to make informed decisions and access the full scope of sexual and reproductive health care.
Dr. Levine has been practicing obstetrics and gynecology since 1966, after completing a residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Louisville School of Medicine. The 60’s were a tumultuous time in American medicine; birth control pills were politically controversial, and illegal abortions kept emergency rooms stocked with a steady flow of septic cases, many of which were treated by Dr. Levine. As a result, he became passionate about the need for contraception and a lifelong supporter of and advocate for affordable reproductive health services for women of all ages.
He has held several leadership positions in Planned Parenthood, including service on its national medical committee, where he helped chart a groundbreaking course for the establishment of modern contraception techniques that were adopted worldwide. He also served on the group’s Southern Region Board.
Closer to home, he served as the medical director for the Louisville Planned Parenthood health center for several years and on the Planned Parenthood of Kentucky Medical Advisory Committee.
Internationally, Dr. Levine is known for his efforts to expand the use of laparoscopy, a procedure that utilizes a telescope type device and specialized instruments to conduct surgery through small incisions while watching on a TV screen. Dr. Levine has trained hundreds of surgeons from around the world in advanced laparoscopic techniques at courses he developed at the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women’s Health at the University of Louisville.
Dr. Levine retired from private practice in 1996 but continues to teach at the UofL School of Medicine. He and his wife, Sonia, have been married for 57 years and have three grown children.
The Bash will feature a cocktail hour, sit-down dinner, program and a a raffle. All proceeds from the Bash will support PPKY education and outreach programs.
To purchase tickets, contact Taylor Ewing Johnstone, PPKY Director of Education and Community Affairs, at 584-2471 or Taylor.Ewing@ppfa.org.
