News release from the Fort Wayne-Allen County Department of Health:
Local health department leaders win prestigious awards
(September 26, 2014) – Leaders of the Fort Wayne-Allen County Health Department have been separately honored by their colleagues in public health.
Allen County Health Commissioner Dr. Deborah McMahan was awarded the prestigious Milton and Ruth Roemer Prize for Creative Local Public Health Work from the American Public Health Association (APHA) and Department Administrator Mindy Waldron was honored with the Chris Ulsas Volunteer of the Year Award from the Indiana Environmental Health Association (IEHA).
McMahan was nominated by the Community Research Consortium for her inspiration and guidance on several recent research studies with local and statewide impact, including one on prescription drug overdose deaths and one on barriers to reporting child abuse and neglect.
“Dr. McMahan’s energetic nature, caring spirit, innovative and creative vision, and unique ability to inspire and mobilize diverse groups to address public health issues are exceptional,” wrote Meg Wilson, the chair of the consortium, in a letter of recommendation.
When McMahan receives her award at the APHA’s annual meeting Nov. 15-19 in New Orleans, La., she will join some prestigious company. Current CDC Director Thomas R. Frieden, MD, MPH won the award back in 2008 when he was Commissioner of the New York City Health Department.
Waldron’s award is the result of her tireless work on legislative issues related to onsite sewage systems. She received the award at the IEHA’s Fall Educational Conference, which was Sept. 22-24.
For Waldron, it is the third time she has been honored by IEHA. She has previously won the association’s Rookie of the Year Award in 1993 as well as the Tim Sullivan Memorial Award in 2001.
About APHA’s Milton and Ruth Roemer Prize for Creative Local Public Health Work
The award is given annually to a local health officer who is “engaged in creative and innovative public health service in their community.” It was endowed by two devoted members of APHA, Milton Roemer, MD and Ruth Roemer, JD.About IEHA’s Chris Ulsas Volunteer of the Year Award
This award is given at the discretion of the President-Elect each year “to a person they feel is volunteering and giving the most to IEHA, in whatever arena they see fit.” It was named after an environmental scientist at the Indiana State Department of Health who was very active in IEHA and passed away unexpectedly in 2006.
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