Paul Barter, Director of Emergency Medical Services; Christopher Singleton, EMS Training Coordinator

• Paul Barter, Director of Emergency Medical Services; Christopher Singleton, EMS Training Coordinator

Paul Barter, EMS Director and Christopher Singleton, EMS Training Coordinator are very dedicated public health employees who have improved the health of the residents of Jefferson County in numerous, measurable ways. Paul and Chris were very active with the county’s COVID clinics and attended each clinic to administer vaccines to hundreds of clinic participants. Paul and Chris also made over 1,000 home visits to the residents of the County to facilitate COVID vaccination of the homebound. Paul and Chris are currently implementing a very successful Mobile Integrated Health (community paramedicine) project. Paul and Chris are working with five ambulance agencies to provide home visits by EMS providers as a community resource partner with the Jefferson County Public Health Service - Certified Home Health Agency to reduce 911 calls, emergency room visits and hospital admissions. The EMS providers are providing education, medication set-ups, assessments and fall prevention education. The excitement and enthusiasm Paul and Chris have for the Mobile Integrated Health project has transferred upon and energized the ambulance agencies. Paul and Chris have made significant contributions that have measurably advanced Emergency Medical Services and Public Health.

Kristin Kane, Early Childhood Development Coordinator

• 31 Years of Service

Kristin Kane, Early Childhood Development Coordinator, has served the Monroe County Department of Public Health for more than 30 years providing oversight to the Early Intervention Program. Always working to progress the program, Kristin has engaged community stakeholders to collaborate around improving disparities, parent engagement, parent coaching and Early Intervention referral outcomes. Kristin is a caring and dedicated professional who works hard to ensure the integrity of the program, while always maintaining equanimity. She has successfully transitioned the team through state system changes and to complete electronic records, which was instrumental in maintaining uninterrupted services during the COVID pandemic. When challenges are presented, Kristin strives to retain stability while considering solutions from all perspectives. Her commitment to the program and team is evidenced by her continuous efforts to improve the experience for the team and the families we serve.

Innovative Programs: Health Promotion & Disease Specialists

• Front row from left to right: Mackenzie Purcell, Public Health Sanitarian; Monica Ntow, Program Coordinator; Angela Spetts, Public Health Sanitarian; Megan Domser, Public Health Sanitarian; Patricia Powers, Disease Specialist
• Back row from left to right: Melissa Lemieux, Disease Specialist; Betty Goldych-Ryan, Principal Clerk; Krista Drake, Public Health Educator; David Congden, Public Health Sanitarian; Amra Mehanovic, Clerk

During 2021, the health promotion team was tasked with completing the Oneida County Community Health Assessment and creating an action plan to advance the work of the community. Although this is a routine task for health departments, the COVID-19 pandemic created some new barriers to completing this work in 2022. Many community organizations had essentially shut down, disbanded, or paused work. Community partnerships changed, some new, some improved. The health promotion team worked on identifying the community needs, exploring what is currently available in the community, and how to bridge resources and rebuild connections to best meet the needs of the community. In response to the nursing shortage, three Disease Specialists were hired in 2022 with a new job description. A full array of communicable disease (CD) core trainings was conducted with our partner, the NYSDOH CD team. On site teaching was provided by the NYSDOH to our staff. Having this team involved from the ground up was essential for success.

Betty Dunsmoor, Heathy Families Program Manager

• Betty Dunsmoor, Heathy Families Program Manager

Oswego County has one of the highest rates of child abuse and neglect in the state. To try to combat this issue, Healthy Families Oswego County was implemented in 2016. From the beginning the program faced many difficulties including funding, retaining staff and families, and meeting performance indicators. After years of struggling, the program was on the brink of closure. In June 2022, Betty Dunsmoor was appointed Healthy Families Oswego County Program Manager. As a Licensed Medical Social Worker with a career focused on end-of-life care, she quickly had to learn new skills that would allow her to manage an evidenced-based home visiting program for pregnant women and new parents. Under her leadership, in less than a year, through determination and perseverance, Betty has turned this program into a success. She has endured months of training, staffing changes and shortages, as well as budgeting issues but she kept moving forward. At this time, the program is serving more families than ever before and is meeting nearly all performance indicators. Betty is deserving of this recognition because she has worked hard to turn a failing program into one that is thriving and flourishing.

COVID-19 Screeners

• Emily Hinman, Early Intervention Specialist; Meghan Allison, Early Intervention Specialist

Emily Hinman and Meghan Allison are members of our Children with Special Needs team. They were a dynamic duo throughout the health department’s pandemic response, assisting with media monitoring, COVID-19 hotline, contact tracing, data management, and vaccination clinics. Once response operations began to slow and health department operations and programs began to ramp back up, Meghan and Emily continued to assist with the COVID-19 hotline and working vaccination clinics. Throughout clinic operations, Meghan and Emily became our go to screeners for vaccination clinics, starting at our mass vaccination sites and then transitioning to onsite operations at the Health Department. Meghan and Emily made themselves available for clinic days, arranging their primary duties to be able to assist in staffing the clinic. As more age groups became eligible for vaccines, and doses were added to the schedule; our screeners were required to navigate across multiple clinic operations to enter patient information and document doses accurately. They did so with ease and their affable personalities gave comfort to patients attending the vaccination clinic. The Oswego County Health Department is lucky to have Meghan and Emily and would like to recognize their commitment to Public Health and going beyond what their job responsibilities required to help vaccinate Oswego County residents and fight the COVD-19 pandemic.

Jennifer Green, MPH

• Jennifer Green, MPH, Director of Preventive Services, 6 Years of Service

Jennifer is the Director of Preventive Services and serves as the Deputy Public Health Director for Ontario County Public Health. She served previously as the Director of QI and as a public health nurse in communicable disease, STIs, rabies, and TB. Jen’s experience, intellect, and approachability make her the “go-to” person for staff. This was particularly evidenced during the COVID-19 pandemic when she led the case investigation team. When public health staff and community members were nearing the end of very frayed ropes, Jen could be heard calmly describing the rationale for quarantine for the thousandth time, as professionally and compassionately as she had the very first. In addition to managing staff, Jennifer is now leading the department through re-accreditation; no easy task. Her attention to detail and persistence will ensure we get there! The department continues to improve and innovate because of Jennifer’s contributions and she has raised the bar on Public Health practice in Ontario County and beyond. Our department is incredibly proud of her accomplishments and we look forward to many years of serving our community together.

Gabriela Vega-Matthews, Community Health Outreach Worker

• Gabriela Vega-Matthews, Community Health Outreach Worker, 20+ Years of Service

Gabriela Vega-Matthews has been an incredible asset to our department, working with Public Health Nursing and Lead Prevention divisions as an active and dedicated bilingual team member. She is an important liaison particularly for home visits and directly observed treatment performed by our clinical teams. Her work ethic and compassion are recognized by the community, particularly our Latinx residents, and have resulted in her founding a community-based organization, Casa Comunitaria de Recursos, engaging with vulnerable populations, educating, and connecting them to resources. Her strong connection of the Latinx population resulted in her being invited to be a member of the Poughkeepsie Children’s Cabinet, a cradle to career program co-chaired by the city’s Mayor and Superintendent. Most recently, Gabriela identified a need for Spanish-language mental health offerings in our county and singlehandedly organized, and secured funding for, a successful series of mental health workshops led by a neuropsychiatrist team from Mexico.

Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) Coordinators

• Kristine Voos, Epidemiology Coordinator; Carie Doty, Principal Account Clerk

Kristine and Carie have served as the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) coordination team since the decision for Genesee & Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health) to formally apply for accreditation was made back in 2020. The designation to lead this process for the Genesee and Orleans County health departments (GO Health) was a significant but important task as it would require a diligent and dedicated focus (in addition to their “normal jobs”) in moving the department through the accreditation journey. One month after GO Health moved forward with the application, COVID arrived and would sideline their PHAB process. Following the heavy response years to COVID, Kristine and Carie once again were called upon to jump start and lead the PHAB document identification and review process ultimately leading to a site visit in the summer of 2023. Kristine and Carie have led GO Health through this journey to be fully accredited. Any health department looking to become accredited must have dedicated and empowered champions like Kristine and Carie to lead the process. Working towards being accredited has refined the work GO Health does, focused and aligned the two health departments and has improved the services they provide to residents. GO Health are thankful to Kristine and Carrie for their leadership in the journey!

Erie County Cancer Services Program

• From Left: Lisa Milewski, Senior Outreach Aide; Michelle Wysocki, Program Manager; Rachel Dusza, Senior Outreach Aide; Suzanne Canfield, Senior Outreach Aide; Kelley Maldonado, Senior Case Manager.

In June 2023, the Erie County Cancer Services Program (ECCSP) celebrated 25 years of connecting uninsured and underinsured Erie County residents with breast cancer, colorectal cancer and cervical cancer screenings. The 25th anniversary celebration acknowledged the more than 35,000 residents who have worked with ECCSP since its inception, including more than 900 individuals whose screenings detected cancer. Provider partners were also recognized for their services, particularly as screening technologies, insurance criteria and the field of medicine have changed significantly over time. The COVID-19 pandemic negatively affected healthcare-seeking behaviors like cancer screenings. Throughout this challenging time, ECCSP staff looked for creative, expansive options to reach the county’s uninsured population. This included an integrated marketing campaign with videos, social media and direct mail to emphasize the benefits and ease of cancer screenings. ECCSP continues its FIT kit distribution in partnership with a local grocery store chain and presence at local events. Most recently, ECCSP has built outreach programs with Erie County’s Bangladeshi community, working with community leaders to produce videos and coordinate educational events.

Erie County Office of Health Equity

• Front row: Yessica Amezquita, Outreach Aide; Colette McDonald; Betsy Vazquez-Aradio, Public Health Educator
  Back row: Lara Nkurunungi, Assistant Epidemiologist; Eddie Payne, Public Health Educator; Margaret Barbalato, Secretarial Typist; Suzanne Canfield, Director; Kelly Wofford; Danielle Rovillo, Project Coordinator; Evanna Ramos, Project Coordinator; Wafa El Solh; Michael Wiese, Associate Epidemiologist

Established by law in 2021, the Erie County Office of Health Equity (ECOHE) evaluates specific health outcomes among diverse populations to fully understand the depth of Erie County’s health disparities and partners with community members, healthcare providers, faith and philanthropic leaders, and organizations to enact programs that help all Erie County residents, especially disadvantaged, marginalized, and diverse populations, achieve maximum health and wellness. Staffed with project coordinators, health educators, grant manager and epidemiologists, the team has produced two unique initiatives that deserve special recognition. Newsletters: ECOHE created Health Equity Beat, a newsletter designed to increase community knowledge on topics like food access, knowing your health numbers, working in government, pregnancy and mental health. Each is translated into five languages and distributed to over 7,500 recipients. Written with plain language, approachable graphics and practical guidance, these "evergreen" newsletters advance health education among recipients. Initial Disparities Report: Using available data and countywide survey results, ECOHE wrote its Initial Disparities Report, designed to provide a baseline understanding of health disparities in the community. The document serves as a reference document for finding other reports, databases, datasets, and other documents related to health equity for those in the community interested in this topic. (See: www.erie.gov/health-equity)

Patricia Hogle, Community Health Educator

• 3 years of service

Patricia Hogle plays in integral role in the department. Her passion lies with harm reduction work, and this shows in everything she does. Patti’s harm reduction work has been spotlighted in NYS as a best practice for rural counties. She jumped into the planning process for the 2022 Community Health Improvement Plan Submission and was vital to its completion. Patti successfully facilitates subcommittees made up of a dozen organizations to narrow down focus areas, goals, objectives, and interventions based on our highest needs and capacity to meet them. She continues to bring together these committees to review data and successes. Patti’s positive attitude and dedication to her work benefits, not only the department, but the community she serves.

St. Lawrence County Early Intervention Team

• Renae Johnson, Supervising Community Health Nurse; Debra Benware, Community Health Nurse; Chelsea Miller, Service Coordinator; Jamie Reed, Service Coordinator; Jessica Rose, Service Coordinator; Samantha Bice, Secretary 1; Desiree Deon, Keyboard Specialist

St. Lawrence County’s Early Intervention team has shown continued dedication to our community. The continued outreach and support provided to families requiring Early Intervention services only continues to grow. They collaborate on cases and ideas to help bring necessary services to our families. No matter the challenge thrown at them, they are able to meet it head on, whether it is dealing with a provider shortage or jumping into pandemic related requirements. This team is currently facing the highest number of referrals since the inception of the program. When the department was short staffed, the EI Team took on extra work to keep the office moving forward. The Team’s positive morale and dedication is apparent on a daily basis and speaks to their commitment to the department and the community they serve. Each member brings their own strengths and are always encouraging of other members of the department.

Division of Environmental Quality - COVID-19 Wastewater Surveillance Team

• James Loglisci, Public Health Sanitarian; Joy Sauer, Environmental Analyst; Nancy Pierson, Associate Public Health Sanitarian; Andrew Aguirre, Associate Public Health Sanitarian; Andrew Seal, Public Health Sanitarian; Michael Jensen, Principal Public Health Sanitarian; John Sohngen, P.E., Chief Public Health Engineer; Ken Zegel P.E., Principal Public Health Engineer; Michelle Mack-Harrell, Office Assistant; Christopher Caldwell, Public Health Fellow
  Not Pictured: Walter Dawydiak, P.E., J.D., Director; Jennifer Fernandes, Public Health Sanitarian; Katherine Governale, Public Health Sanitarian

In January 2021, with support from Suffolk County Department of Health Services Administration, the Division of Environmental Quality team initiated a wastewater-based epidemiology pilot project to track the prevalence of COVID-19 in communities by sampling influent wastewater at local Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) for the concentration of SARS-CoV-2 RNA, the virus that causes COVID-19. Guidance and leadership was provided by NYSDOH and CDC, as well as Stony Brook University who were the contracted laboratory for analysis. This project served as an important public health surveillance tool with the goal of providing an early warning system by alerting the public to outbreaks and to allow a more efficient deployment of resources to potentially mitigate the spread of the disease. The team ensured that multiple samples from specific STPs in Suffolk County were collected weekly, transported, and analyzed. The team refined the data into enhanced weekly reports and disseminated appropriately.

Substance Use Surveillance and Response Teams

• Rachel Maxwell, MPH, Director of Community Health; Erin Murray, RN BSN aIPC, Supervising Epidemiologist; Molly Pezzulo, MPH Epidemiologist; Colleen Jason MPH Senior Health Educator; Alex Barr MPH, Senior Health Educator; Allie Mitchell, MPH Emergency Preparedness Coordinator; Jackie Spang, Public Health Representative; Chrissy Raydo, Account Clerk Typist; Amy Barnes, LPN; Lorrie Arnold, LPN; Elizabeth Herlihy, PHN; Jamie Berardi, RN; Eileen Cook, Health Program Administrator; Shana Phelan, PHN; Kristen Trim, MPH Epidemiologist

SCDOH staff working on substance use disorder prevention and response identified a need for improved surveillance. SCDOH epidemiologists worked to leverage data from six primary sources across multiple disciplines (law enforcement, health care, mental health, and public health) to provide a comprehensive picture of the county’s burden. The development of this standardized approach allowed for the timely and accurate identification of patterns, including spikes in time and space. The Department also created a Substance Use Surveillance Dashboard, which provides near real-time data to the public, that can be found at www.SaveALifeTo.Day. With this improved system for tracking overdoses the team can now target their interventions and responses. Since becoming an Opioid Overdose Prevention Program at the beginning of 2023, as of April 2, 2025, the SCDOH has held many Community Narcan Distribution events that trained 3,082 individuals and distributed approximately 10,565 Naloxone Kits. The team also created a resource guide for Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders, which is included with Narcan in overdose response kits. Additionally, the team created a form that anyone can fill out if they are looking for Narcan but are unable to attend scheduled events. Someone from SCDOH will reach out to the individual and coordinate a training date/time that works for them. Narcan training Information for Businesses and Organizations – County of Saratoga, New York

Alison Kaufman DMV, MPH, Epidemiologist

• 3 years of service

During 2022, Alison Kaufman DMV, MPH developed the Mid-Hudson Regional and the Putnam County Community Health Assessments. Coordinating data collection, she identified Putnam’s 10 Main Health Challenges. This information informed Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) priorities. Alison identified decreased vaccination in the western part of Putnam. She then created a survey for parents and providers to explore possible reasons, and a protocol for office staff to send reminders to parents. Alison is involved in outbreak response and in disease surveillance. She is also developing a survey in the event of a large outbreak which will allow us to gather information efficiently, preventing disease spread. Alison also uses her expertise in vector borne diseases to educate her colleagues and residents in our high prevalence county. Alison is a dedicated believer in the good that comes from public health and making positive change in the world.

Victoria DiLonardo, Sr. Public Health Programs Assistant

• 12 years of service

Victoria (Vicki) DiLonardo has excelled at every public health program she has been assigned to. Vicki has assisted staff as a member of the Workforce Development Committee (WFDC). Vicki contributes to multiple aspects of the WFDC from contributing to Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) required documents, assisting in the Training Needs Assessment, and sending out emails to recognize staff’s longevity.

Vicki is a vital member of the Health Education team and worked on the Community Health Assessment (CHA) and Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP). Victoria was key in communicating with the public during the pandemic. She is currently working diligently to support health equity in how she posts social media news for PCDOH. Vicki also works to protect our environment through her work with the Household Hazardous Waste program.

Public Health Clinic Services

• Susan Dougherty, Nurse Practitioner; April Worth, Director of Patient Services; Diane Franklin, Clinic Secretary; Andrea Foster, RN; Melissa Grantier, RN

The Public Health Clinic Services team is composed of healthcare professionals who work to promote, counsel, and provide various clinic services. The services the clinic staff team provide include reproductive and sexual health services; sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing and treatment; communicable disease investigations and follow-up; immunizations; off-site clinics; lead poisoning prevention follow-up and education; HIV testing; Hepatitis C (HCV) testing; along with many other clinical services.

The public health clinic services team has worked diligently to provide immunizations to all ages and has offered off-site and additional hours to make clinics more convenient to the public. The team continues to think about creative ways to reach the public about important public health programs and have instituted various surveys to gather additional information about clinic sites and hours. In 2023, at the Allegany County Fair, the Public Health Clinic Services team debuted a NYSIIS (New York State Immunization Information System) station at the Allegany County DOH booth where individuals were able to check immunization status, and the team was able to help make recommendations to ensure residents are up to date! The NYSIIS station also helped to update existing profiles/records in the system to help healthcare providers across the region to provide the best care for patients who receive lifesaving immunizations.

Samantha Hicks, Public Health Program Coordinator

• 5.5 years of service

Samantha Hicks has become a vital part of the Chemung County Health Department (CCHD) due to both her skills and personality. She began her county career as a clerk and through dedication and hard work was promoted to her current position in 2022. Samantha was a source of inspiration and can-do attitude during covid as she guided numerous CCHD team members and contract staff through endless covid calls. She worked closely with the IT department to create and implement CCHDs own digital covid system, becoming adept at trouble shooting the system. Always willing to help the team in any role, Ms. Hicks has become a trusted resource for peers and supervisors. She recently completed her MPH and her project centered around addressing STI rates in Chemung County.

Rosalyn Fagan, Supervising Billing Specialist

• 22 years of service

Rosalyn Fagan is being recognized for her dedication, professionalism and expertise in her role as Supervising Billing Specialist. Her skills help fund our programs, keep us in compliance with state and federal regulations and keeps down the cost to taxpayers of this essential work.

Ms. Fagan’s expertise covers the complex billing work in our Home Care Agencies, our clinics, and Early Intervention and Preschool Special Education programs amongst other duties. She has been our project leader implementing electronic medical record systems for various programs. Ms. Fagan participated in public health preparedness response at our clinics. During our pandemic response, in addition to her routine duties, she was responsible for billing insurance for COVID-19 vaccine administration, bringing in over $100,000 in revenue to the County. She is a reliable team player who supports her colleagues. People enjoy working with Rosalyn because of her knowledge, her work ethic, and caring, calm and pleasant demeanor.

Mark Lafountain, Emergency Preparedness Coordinator

• 7 years of service

Mark Lafountain, the Emergency Preparedness Coordinator at CCHD has been instrumental in planning for public health emergencies even before the pandemic. As a local firefighter, first responder, NYS Fire Instructor and member of the Red Knights International Motorcycle Club he has a strong sense of community. In 2021 and 2022 he planned and orchestrated over 300 mass vaccination Point of Dispensing (POD) sites; vaccinating over 30,000 people in Clinton County. From the layout, through-put, the “Disney”-style lines set ups, down to having enough pens, he had it all organized for maximum efficiency and with everyone’s safety in mind.

Always a calm presence, with a smile on his face, no matter the situation. He used each POD as opportunity to observe and improve the next. Beginning in 2021, he oversaw everything from mass vaccination events to smaller scale PODs in rural communities, schools and children’s camps. Mark was the first to arrive and the last to leave each POD. He worked in all POD roles, wherever he was needed – as registrar, CDMS data entry, CDMS admin scheduling appointments, assisting disabled citizen to access the clinic, and providing care in emergency situations. Mark has shown his versatility in managing the use of a new mobile vaccination unit – training staff, preparing it for the event, setting it up and getting it back into service. The vaccination team at CCHD was stronger for his contributions.

Yoselyn Rodriguez Cruz, Public Health Technician

• 1 year of service

Yoselyn Rodriguez Cruz, Public Health Technician with the Niagara County Department of Health’s Healthy Neighborhoods, has many qualities of a seasoned public health professional. Yoselyn has been a leader in connecting with the public to make their homes safer. She has an exceptional ability to establish trust and communicate with homeowners and tenants about the Healthy Neighborhoods Program and how they can benefit from program benefits. Yoselyn speaks more than one language and is able to connect with many of our communities’ Spanish-speaking population. Yoselyn serves our community well at public events as well as through the Healthy Neighborhoods Program; she has assisted Sanitarians and other program staff to overcome language barriers. She has a remarkable ability to put together social media content to communicate effectively with the public. Yoselyn has a true passion for public health. She is a team player who brings staff together, positively affecting the culture of the department, effectively creating a feeling that Public Health is a great place to work and serve.

Outreach Team (Health Initiatives & Community Partnership)

• Stephanie Amariles, Staff Assistant (Health Spanish-Speaking); Victor Arriaga-Espinoza, Community Work Assistant; Tracy Bowen, Public Administration Intern; John Castaneda, Community Work Assistant; Heriberto Contreras, Assistant to Commissioner (Health); Evelyn Ferris, Community Outreach Worker; Natalie Hernandez, Community Health Worker; Mildred Lopez, Community Health Worker; Robert Marrone, Community Outreach Worker; Robin Odze, Community Outreach Worker; Yunilda Perez, Public Administration Intern; Edith Rojas, Community Outreach Worker; Reina Salguero, Community Outreach Worker

The Westchester County Department of Health Outreach Team (Health Initiatives & Community Partnership) provides culturally competent and linguistically appropriate care, helps clients navigate a complex health and social services system, breaks down barriers to care, and builds trust within the community.

Over the years 2022-23, the team was busier than ever. The Outreach Team provided a boots-on-the ground approach to secure over 1,000 community health assessment surveys from some of the County’s most vulnerable populations. They staffed COVID-19, influenza and mpox vaccine clinics, educating and informing residents about the importance of protecting themselves from communicable diseases. Most recently they have worked with asylum seekers providing a welcoming face, transportation to medical appointments, translation and navigation services, and advocacy. The Outreach Team arranged several department drives – a food collection for homebound residents, clothing and hygiene products for asylum seekers, and books for children accessing the County’s Department of Social Services. The Outreach Team continues to demonstrate their passion and dedication to the communities they serve.

Children with Special Needs (CSN) Division

• Yoegel, Marina, Assistant Commissioner Of Health; Baitler, Susan (Prog Adm); Byrnes, Joseph (Prog Adm); Gordon, Karree-Lyn (Fellow); Mignone, Stefanie (Staff Ass); Soto, Claudia (Eis); Zhang, Sizhen; Alvarez, Gerardo (CHW); Battista, Nina (New Employee); Bellas, Marian (Eis); Berman, Barbara (Eis); Cabrera, Annette (Eis); Carlson, Suzanne (Eis); Clinton, Denise (CHW); Diaz, Yazmil (Eis); Estades, Elizabeth (Office Assistant); Garay, Elaine (New Employee); Guayara, Monica (Eis); Lynes, Vivian (Eis); Massari, Deborah (Eis); Mcloughlin, Penny (Eis); Polanco, Ebony (Eis); Rogers, Danielle (Eis); Tripicchio, Marta (Eis); Alexander, Mathen (Staff Ass); Burnett, Brianna (Staff Ass); Chu, Ting (Staff Ass); Kuriakose, Sen (Acct Control Spcl); Massio, Phyllis (Staff Ass); Mundadan, Martin (Staff Ass); Thomas, Lissy (Staff Ass); Verghese, Smitha (Acct Iii); Nussen, Fred (Sr File Clk); Moroney Stark, Maureen (Eis); O'sullivan, Patricia A (Eis); Grippo, Gerard (CHW); Magee, Anthony (Hourly Employee); Villegas, Sandra (Trans Ast Ii)

Every member of the Children with Special Needs division (CSN) works as a team to ensure children (with diagnosed conditions and developmental delays) and their families residing in Westchester have access to their mandated services and a full array of early childhood, health and mental health, educational, social-emotional, and transportation services. CSN receives 4,500 referrals to the Early Intervention program and 5,000 referrals to the Preschool Special Education Program annually.

Every CSN staff plays a significant role in ensuring the Early Intervention, Preschool Special Education, and Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs programs all operate seamlessly. Their dedication to the public good for the children and families they serve as well as their ability to work with community partners is evident and commendable. They approach their work with professionalism, integrity and empathy; ensure services are coordinated and timely; link families to community organizations for services not available through CSN programs and ensure that service providers are reimbursed within billing rules.

CSN staff strive for excellence in their work as they assist Westchester County’s most vulnerable population. We commend them for their commitment, dedication, and passion to ensure children and their families have the highest quality services available.

Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (CLPPP)

• Leslie Liberatore, Public Health Services Coordinator; Nicole Benevento, Associate Public Health Sanitarian; Aji Cherian, Public Health Sanitarian; Ronniery De La Cruz, Public Health Sanitarian; Mehmet Ergun, Public Health Sanitarian; Christopher Petzold, Public Health Sanitarian; Mario Zeppetelli, Public Health Sanitarian; Rosemarie Camia, Public Health Nurse; Claudia Toledo-Chow, Public Health Nurse; Michael Connery, Community Health Worker

The Westchester County Department of Health’s Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (CLPPP) works to prevent and eliminate childhood lead poisoning throughout the county. The program involves collaboration with members of the community, as well as with governmental and non-governmental organizations that work with families, to increase awareness of the harmful effects of lead.

Our public health nurses provide the coordination of care, with primary healthcare providers, on all children and pregnant women who are identified as lead poisoned (venous blood lead level >5ug/dL.). The care coordination team provides case management which includes education to our families, physicians and the public and, ensures that children have follow up care until their lead levels are below the state mandated levels and their environment is made safe.

Our environmental health inspectors conduct environmental investigations to identify and mitigate the sources of lead to which a child or pregnant women may be exposed. The inspectors evaluate and document all observed potential sources of lead exposure, conditions conducive to lead poisoning and behaviors potentially contributing to exposure. Any time lead hazards are identified, the program provides education and issues a Notice and Demand outlining the conditions conducive to lead poisoning. The department then verifies that the conditions have been eliminated through appropriate lead hazard remediation and satisfactory clearance dust wipe samples.

The CLPPP also works with the Regional Lead Resource Center at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore and its affiliates, housing agencies and Managed Care organizations to assist in providing safer housing from lead hazards and exposure through education.

More than 85% of houses in Westchester County were built before 1978, when lead was banned from residential use. We are currently following 250 children and pregnant women that are lead poisoned in Westchester County. Our care coordination and environmental teams work tirelessly to ensure the safety of our youngest Westchester County residents and pregnant women.

Andrea Whitmarsh, Program Coordinator

• 8 Years of Service

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Andrea Whitmarsh willingly and tirelessly shifted her responsibilities to one of the most pressing needs of the pandemic, communications. Having received training as a Public Information Officer, along with experience in public health messaging, marketing and communications, Andrea was an excellent fit to meet the community’s insatiable demand for constant communications and information.

Thousands of people were reached, engaged with, and shared information on the Essex County Health Department’s primary social media platform, Facebook. Followers commented and asked questions on posts and she read and responded professionally and repeatedly at all times of the day and night. She responded to inquiries from the media, schools, business owners, hospitals, nursing homes, and so many public and private entities seeking the most current guidance and information from a local source.

She was promoted to Program Coordinator and continues to act as a member of the Department’s leadership team. As the pandemic demands lessened, Andrea took on a new responsibility, working on the Community Health Assessment and Improvement Plan. She re-engaged community based organizational partners, launched a community survey, identified new data sources, and used new data visualizations to help provide snapshots of data by topic. She provided presentations on community needs and the county’s Community Health Improvement Plan to the Department’s new staff, governing bodies, community-based coalitions and communities and stakeholders.

Essex County Health Department proudly recognizes Andrea Whitmarsh for the devotion she provides to the Department and its vision of Healthy People in Healthy Communities.

Fulton County Department of Health

• Back Row Left to Right: Annette Fordyce, Community Health Nurse; Angela Stuart Palmer, ADPH; Kim Frederick, Supervising Public Health Nurse; Lynne Brown, Children’s Services Program Specialist; Melissa Devine, Children’s Services Program Specialist; Laurel Headwell, Director of Public Health; Susan Pulis, Account Clerk; Yavonne Magliocca, Children’s Services Program Specialist
• Front Row Left to Right: Christina Bridge, Fellow; Tammy Mickan, Fiscal Manager; Kathy King, Public Health Nurse; Doreen Smith, Children’s Services Program Specialist; Emily Boucher, Account Clerk

Fulton County Public Health staff are committed to improving the health and safety of our community each day. Staff focus on clinical and non-clinical ways to improve health and reduce disparities. Having access to education, quality healthcare, nutrition and physical activity are all components to a healthy community. In 2022-2023 the FCPH nursing staff vaccinated 102 individuals. Vaccines not only keep individuals healthy, but they keep communities healthy. The staff assist in 3 Rabies clinics each year, in 2022-2023 the staff along with a local veterinarian vaccinated 728 dogs, 195 cats and 2 ferrets. To help individuals and families maintain a healthy lifestyle, staff participated in 84 community presentations; installed 7 sunscreen dispensers at various community locations; and developed 8 walking maps for areas within the county. Program staff have created placemats and worked with local restaurants to use them as well as having table tents with monthly health topics displayed. The department car seat technician distributed 68 car seats to families and gave valuable training and information on car seat safety. The FCPH staff continue to be positive assets to the community while working towards a common goal to help people with their health needs and bring services to the community for greater good.