Carolyn Heppler Kurz, retired EVP/CEO of the Lexington Medical Society, passed away August 9, 2025, after a nine-year battle with cancer
LEXINGTON During her 43 years as EVP/CEO of the Society, membership increased dramatically as the Society developed new, innovative programs including the LMS Exchange which still answers patient, nurse & physician calls 24/7/365, a CVO which verified a doctor’s education, training & experience for local hospitals & medical facilities, and a mini internship shadowing program that allowed community leaders an opportunity to follow physicians & gain a deeper understanding of healthcare operations.
Carolyn received numerous awards throughout her career including being named one of the Top Women in Business by The Lane Report in 1994. In 1995 she was awarded the FCMS Layperson Award, while in 1996 she received the KMA Layperson Award. In 2007 she received the Lexington Rotary Club President’s Cup, and in 2011 she was recognized with the AMA’s Medical Executive Lifetime Achievement Award. Upon her retirement in 2014, LMS honored her by creating an award presented to a
non-physician dedicated to improving community health.
Beyond her organizational achievements, Carolyn was a devoted mentor who actively guided & supported her physician members & staff, fostering their growth & development. She was deeply engaged in her community serving as the first female president of the Rotary Club and held leadership roles with the BBB, United Way, and Toyota Bluegrass Miracle League. Carolyn also used her expertise in various educational & advisory roles including serving on the Board of the Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Foundation & advocating health & wellness through the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Kentucky.
Carolyn was an avid University of Kentucky basketball and football fan. She was also a world traveler, traveling to South Korea for 11 months before becoming the leader of the Society in 1971. She and her husband of 38 years, Jim Kurz, have traveled to 13 other countries and visited most of the 50 states.
A memorial to celebrate Carolyn’s life was held Wednesday, September 10 in Lexington. Contributions in her honor can be made to Surgery on Sunday, 1594 Harrodsburg Road Lexington, KY 40504; the Lexington Rotary Club, 401 W. Main Street #305, Lexington, KY 40507; or the McDowell House, 125 S. 2nd St, Danville, KY 40422.
Tributes FROM LEXINGTON MEDICAL SOCIETY PAST PRESIDENTS:
“When I was elected president of the Lexington Medical Society, it was comforting to know that Carolyn Kurz would be an invaluable help to me and the whole society as she had done for my predecessors and the society for many years. Her wise counsel was invaluable to the any successes that the society accomplished. The call center, the golf tournament, and professional relationships were all things that she helped all of us who were members of LMS. She became a very beloved friend. We often joked about the seasons/colors of our personalities. She was ‘Spring’ while was I was ‘Winter.’ ‘Hello Spring,’ or ‘Hello Winter,’ was an affectionate greeting needing no name. She will be missed by so many for so many reasons.” — Lisle Dalton, MD LMS President 1998
“It is with the heaviest of hearts we share the passing of Carolyn Kurz, former EVP/CEO of Lexington Medical Society. Carolyn was with LMS for 43 years, was a member of several professional societies, and won many awards including the AMA 2011 Medical Executive Lifetime Achievement Award. If you had the privilege to know this remarkable woman, you’d recall her sly smile and knowing glances, her tenacity, and her ability to get things done! She was driven, but somehow kind and nurturing at the same time. Although Carolyn had retired when I met her, I had the honor of being her physician for these past 9 years. In that time, I grew to appreciate her many strengths, but I was most inspired by her determination to live life on her own terms. We will miss her dearly.” — Hope Cottrill, MD LMS President 2025
“Carolyn Kurz was the face of the Lexington Medical Society. Her determination, persistence, and smile helped to make the Society what it is today.” — Emery Wilson, MD LMS President 2010
“I met Carolyn Kurz in September 1982, while a first-year medical student. She immediately told me that to have an impact I needed to be active in organized medicine. She never let me go, mentoring and assisting me as I rose through leadership roles. I hate that I have to let her go now.” — David Bensema, MD LMS President 2002
“Carolyn worked hard to help the doctors understand all the changes occurring both in medicine and in Lexington.” — Alan Grimes, MD LMS President 1978
“Carolyn will always be remembered as the driving force of the Lexington Medical Society and a wonderful, caring person. Her excellent direction and guidance made our leadership jobs easier and purposeful. Her loving and enduring friendship meant so much to Lynn and me. We will never forget her sweet smile and enrichment. We will miss her greatly.” — Daniel Kenady, MD LMS President 1996
“When I came back to Lexington and had the opportunity to join the Fayette County Medical Society, I did so and met Carolyn, a powerful leader, concise in her planning and super knowledgeable about all things related to organized medicine. For many of us, I suspect we were some of her ‘projects!’ Little did I know that my path forward under her guidance would take me to a place I could never have imagined. Carolyn became a dear friend and mentor. Early in my career, she gave me a book entitled Even Eagles Need a Push, and to this day , I am so grateful to her for her leadership and guidance, not only for me, but for so many physicians and medical leaders in our community.” — Ardis Hoven, MD AMA President 2013-14
“I first met Carolyn in 1980 when she was the EVP of the Fayette County Medical Society and I was a new member. She was always a very dedicated employee and is largely responsible for the Lexington Medical Society that we have today. I was president of the society and had the privilege of working closely with her that year and for several years before when I served on the executive committee. She is largely responsible for the current location of the Society offices, the Medical Society Exchange and the change of name. She has received numerous rewards from the KMA and AMA as the executive vice president. She continued to support me as I became the KMA President in 2007. I think that everyone who knew her had the greatest respect for her dedication to the Society and to the members of the society.” — Thomas K Slabaugh Sr, MD LMS President 1990
“In 1637 the French philosopher, mathematician and father of modern philosophy Rene Descartes said the phrase, ‘I think, therefore I am.’ However, ‘I do, therefore I am,’ is a more befitting phrase for Carolyn Kurz. Through her forty-three years with the LMS, her involvement with and presidency of Rotary Club, BBB, Commerce Lexington and more, she put words and thoughts into action and produced results. She was and always will be a giant of the Lexington Medical Society.” — Tom Waid LMS President 2014
“Carolyn was a straight-shooting mentor to many medical society executives and rarely lacked an informed answer to most any question posed to her about the industry. Her immense experience and connections at every level helped to make her a model for any successful association executive.” — Pat Padgett EVP of the Kentucky Medical Association