Those honored with awards, selected from nominations submitted by colleagues, and chosen by a selection committee of public health professionals. Awards given included:

Lifetime Achievement Recognition Award Recipient:

Jill Moore, BSPH, MPH, JD

Jill Moore serves as a teacher, advisor and resource for all NC county health directors, public health nurses, school nurses, county attorneys, county managers, county commissioners, state legislators, state agency staff, and many others. She wears two professional hats as a health educator and an attorney. While her work has touched every part of the public health system – from the board of health governance to on-site wastewater to clinical care – she has dedicated a tremendous amount of time and energy to issues affecting children. For example, her work on medical treatment of minors in unparalleled in the state and she has written the only book that explains the state’s immunization and communicable disease laws. Moore’s work focuses on NC public health law, especially legal issues in communicable disease control, adolescent health, local health department organization and governance, and medical privacy. Moore coordinates and teaches continuing education courses and conferences for NC local health directors, local health department employees, and other state and local government officials with an interest in public health law. She has been the lead public health law faculty member at the UNC School of Government for 25 years.

Individual Achievement Award Recipient:

Eleanor (Elly) Steel, DMD, MPH

Dr. Steel is making a difference through her work at Cabarrus Health Alliance providing oral health care. She has implemented her clinical vision focused on value-based dentistry, including patient empowerment, and is working with community based programs. She has married public health and dentistry through evidence-based methods, data collection, and a constant program assessment model to better meet the needs of the community. She is providing needed oral health services to children and adults working in school based settings and through community outreach. She is focused on oral health disparities and is working to bridge gaps in her community. She is working to improve equity for oral health care in Cabarrus County.

Public Health Staff Recognition Award Recipient:

Beverly Barber, RN, BSN

Beverly Barber has dedicated her career to working with families in the piedmont community as a maternal-child health nurse. Her current work, at the Forsyth County Department of Public Health, with the Nurse-Family Partnership team has her on the frontlines providing preventive nursing care to her clients. She is working with low-income, first-time pregnant and parenting families in their new parent journeys. Her previous roles include working in a local medical center in the Mother-Baby, Labor and Delivery and Antenatal departments. Her work also includes administering COVID vaccinations at the health departments mass vaccinations sites. Beverly has dedicated 47-years to her nursing career and continues to support children and families in Forsyth County.

Local Health Department Achievement Award Recipient:

Durham County Department of Public Health

Durham's Innovative Nutrition Education (DINE)

Durham’s DINE program provides outstanding nutrition and food access centered on nutrition educational programming. This multi-faceted nutrition program improves access and builds awareness, increasing self-efficacy to choose nutritious foods. Implementing edible gardens, expanding food pantries, promoting free school meals, and creating and maintaining a searchable food resource map that lists food pantries and school meal sites in English and Spanish are core activities. DINE provides nutrition education through in-person and virtual workshops, cooking demos, social media, videos and e-newsletters.

Mecklenburg County Public Health

Child Development Community Policing (CDCP), Trauma and Justice Partnerships

Child Development-Community Policing (CDCP) in Mecklenburg County began in 1996. This unique program partners child mental health clinicians with police officers in local towns. CDCP supports children impacted by the worst possible violence: homicides, suicides, weapons assaults, domestic violence, public accidents, and other traumas. CDCP has grown into a robust team of 17 dedicated clinicians, their supervisors, and local police officers who are available 24/7/365 when children and families need them. The goal is for children and families to receive the absolute best acute trauma care.

Rowan County Public Health

Healthy Rowan Coalition

The Healthy Rowan Coalition is based in the Rowan County Public Health Department. The coalition works to combat family and childhood obesity, providing programs and resources for families with children who are food insecure, lower income, and/or who have a body mass index within the 85th percentile. This collaboration has many partners in Rowan County providing education, physical activity sponsorships, and subsidized nutrition for families. This program provides multifaceted support including counseling, access to healthier foods and physical activity opportunities.

Congratulations to the following on their nomination:

Forsyth County Department of Public Health

Care Management Programs

The Forsyth Care Management teams include Care Management for at Risk Children, Care Management for High Risk Pregnancies, and the Nurse Family Partnership. These care management programs provide services to women and children in the county who are generally low income, Medicaid eligible, SDOH, affected by toxic stress and medical conditions.

Foothills Health District

Environmental Health

Rutherford and McDowell counties are served by the Foothills Health District. Implementing a full childhood lead poisoning prevention program, new state mandated quality assurance plan, inspections at food and lodging establishments, and septic applications has been demanding on the staff. Whether it is through a routine restaurant inspection, ensuring that food is cooked to the correct internal temperature, to inspecting a swimming pool, Foothills staff is working to ensure the health of the citizens in these counties.

The North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation appreciates the diligence of the North Carolina Public Health Association (NCPHA) in overseeing the North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Child Health Recognition Awards program. NCPHA coordinates many tasks associated with the program, including selecting healthcare professionals to serve as selection committee members. We are grateful to the committee members for their time and careful consideration of all nominations. The information presented was provided by the nominators and reflect their views. We appreciate their participation sharing the work of others that create innovative programs. Thank you to everyone involved.