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Public Health Hero Awards
Public Health Hero awards are given out every year as a way to recognize those who make a difference in the health and well-being of our community.
• Christie Boyd, art teacher at Blue Heron School, uses art as mental health support for her students. She has taken on a significant number of tasks that are reaching students who are often marginalized or ignored by society, BIPOC and LGBTQ, and leads equity training for the school district staff.
• David Codier RN, though new to the area, hit the ground running and facilitated all the clinics at Jefferson Healthcare as well as separate clinics through the Dept of Public Health from winter 2021 to the present.
• The Medics and EMTs at the East Jefferson Fire Rescue, providing residents with reliable and compassionate emergency services throughout the pandemic despite the immense challenges posed by COVID-19.
• Food Bank Farm and Gardens aka FoodBank Growers, a network of organic farms providing fresh produce to four local food banks to forward their belief that fresh, organic produce contributes to healthier communities.
• Sarah Grossman, a physical therapist working in the Chimacum School District, saw a need for a playground suitable for special needs children and founded JUMP! (Jefferson Universal Movement Playground) to raise funds and create a space where all families can come and have their children experience challenging and stimulating play on an accessible, safe and fun playground.
• KPTZ, our local radio station, provided steady and strong support throughout the pandemic, getting the word out about COVID-19 and educating the public, including providing a forum for the public’s questions to health officer Dr. Allison Berry and airing interviews with public health experts.
• Grace Love spearheaded the organization of the county’s first Juneteenth celebration, and subsequently founded the non-profit Nadine’s House to provide artists with access to services, resources, and stability, enabling them to overcome the financial hurdles that often prevent artists from pursuing their crafts.
• Lisa McKenzie has served the community as a public health nurse for thirty years. She has led the communicable disease team through the stresses of the COVID-19 pandemic. She has been instrumental in training up a new generation of nurses in the department, and her leadership, teaching, and the example she has provided to other nurses will continue to benefit the public for years to come.
• Jim Moffitt formed a COVID-19 Task Group as part of the Port Ludlow Village Council's Health & Wellness committee, and created a network of alliances with county agencies to enable an open and easy flow of information between the county agencies and the community that significantly raised pandemic awareness among residents.
• Logan Stegner, as physical education teacher and assistant coach at Port Townsend High School, transformed the phys ed program from standard fare to a program of inclusion and enjoyment that focuses on both physical and mental health and has expanded activities to attract a more diverse group of students.
The awards were presented at the monthly meeting of the Jefferson County Board of Health, held at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 16th.
2022 Award Winners
- Christie Boyd
- David Codier RN
- The Medics and EMTs at the East Jefferson Fire Rescue
- Food Bank Farm and Gardens aka FoodBank Growers
- Sarah Grossman
- KPTZ
- Grace Love
- Lisa McKenzie
- Jim Moffitt
- Logan Stegner
Public Health Heroes, Public Health is Where you are
Every Year, absent a pandemic, Public Health Week is celebrated nationally and, locally, Jefferson County Heroes are nominated by the public. This year, making up for two years without awards, we are enlarging our class of awardees, and the Jefferson County Board of Health is honored to present the Public Health Heroes Award to the following individuals and groups:• Christie Boyd, art teacher at Blue Heron School, uses art as mental health support for her students. She has taken on a significant number of tasks that are reaching students who are often marginalized or ignored by society, BIPOC and LGBTQ, and leads equity training for the school district staff.
• David Codier RN, though new to the area, hit the ground running and facilitated all the clinics at Jefferson Healthcare as well as separate clinics through the Dept of Public Health from winter 2021 to the present.
• The Medics and EMTs at the East Jefferson Fire Rescue, providing residents with reliable and compassionate emergency services throughout the pandemic despite the immense challenges posed by COVID-19.
• Food Bank Farm and Gardens aka FoodBank Growers, a network of organic farms providing fresh produce to four local food banks to forward their belief that fresh, organic produce contributes to healthier communities.
• Sarah Grossman, a physical therapist working in the Chimacum School District, saw a need for a playground suitable for special needs children and founded JUMP! (Jefferson Universal Movement Playground) to raise funds and create a space where all families can come and have their children experience challenging and stimulating play on an accessible, safe and fun playground.
• KPTZ, our local radio station, provided steady and strong support throughout the pandemic, getting the word out about COVID-19 and educating the public, including providing a forum for the public’s questions to health officer Dr. Allison Berry and airing interviews with public health experts.
• Grace Love spearheaded the organization of the county’s first Juneteenth celebration, and subsequently founded the non-profit Nadine’s House to provide artists with access to services, resources, and stability, enabling them to overcome the financial hurdles that often prevent artists from pursuing their crafts.
• Lisa McKenzie has served the community as a public health nurse for thirty years. She has led the communicable disease team through the stresses of the COVID-19 pandemic. She has been instrumental in training up a new generation of nurses in the department, and her leadership, teaching, and the example she has provided to other nurses will continue to benefit the public for years to come.
• Jim Moffitt formed a COVID-19 Task Group as part of the Port Ludlow Village Council's Health & Wellness committee, and created a network of alliances with county agencies to enable an open and easy flow of information between the county agencies and the community that significantly raised pandemic awareness among residents.
• Logan Stegner, as physical education teacher and assistant coach at Port Townsend High School, transformed the phys ed program from standard fare to a program of inclusion and enjoyment that focuses on both physical and mental health and has expanded activities to attract a more diverse group of students.
The awards were presented at the monthly meeting of the Jefferson County Board of Health, held at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 16th.
About National Public Health Week
National Public Health Week, sponsored by the American Public Health Association, is held each year in April and focuses on important issues in public health. More information, as well as a helpful Toolkit, can be found on the National Public Health Week website at http://www.nphw.org/About Public Health Heroes
Jefferson County Public Health (JCPH) began honoring public health Heroes in 2007 as a way to locally celebrate National Public Health Week. The annual public health award celebration recognizes the contributions that community members make through their work or volunteerism to protect and promote the health of the citizens of Jefferson County. The public health heroes awards honor people who live or work in Jefferson County and promote public health in their daily lives.2019 Award Winners
- Bob Bindschadler - Global Health
- The Recyclery - Healthy Communities
- Susan O'Brien - Rural Health
- Teresa Shiraishi - Violence Prevention
- Julie Iszley - Technology and Public Health
- Owen Fairbank - Climate Change