PUBLIC HEALTH AWARDS: 2009 recipients
Annual Public Health Awards Presented April 15th
Seven individuals and organizations were honored at the 2009 Public Health Awards ceremony held on Wednesday, April 15, 2009. Public Health Awards recognize significant contributions made by the recipients to the health of the people and the environment of Madison and Dane County.
"We are very pleased to have the chance to recognize some of the individuals and organizations that have made efforts above and beyond what is expected to ensure good health for others and contribute to our vision for healthy people in healthy Dane County communities," said Dr. Thomas Schlenker, Director of Public Health Madison and Dane County.
Nominations for the Public Health awards were submitted by individuals and organizations in the community, and by Public Health staff. The awards were presented by Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk and Mayor Dave Cieslewicz.
The 2009 Public Health Award Recipients are:
Advocacy Award: ABC for Health
For its outstanding, dedicated advocacy work in linking children and families to needed health care benefits and services.
ABC for Health plays a critical role in helping children and families in Dane County and across Wisconsin access health care coverage. ABC for Health is a Wisconsin-based, non-profit, public interest law firm dedicated to linking children and families, particularly those with special health care needs, to health care benefits and services.
Since 1994, ABC for Health has been helping families who are wondering how to pay for their health care by providing information and helping them problem-solve. It uniquely provides individual health benefits counseling and legal assistance to help families through the maze of programs. ABC's excellent staff is accessible and willing to do prompt, immediate research on questions, as access and coverage questions arise. It is able to provide technical assistance for private insurance grievances or identify administrative rules amid the bureaucracy, to help get coverage of needed medical services to people in need.
In addition, ABC increases the capacity to serve the un/underinsured by offering conferences and training sessions and providing web-based information, so that others in the health care workforce can more effectively advocate for families they work with. In another endeavor, ABC for Health founded HealthWatch, initially as a coalition of providers and advocates to ensure access to services in Dane County. This effort is now expanding statewide as ABC for Health continues their mission of health care access for all.
ABC for Health provides a voice through which families can
 tell their stories about their needs and the challenges of navigating the health care system ABC successfully identifies their issues and brings these stories forward to influence public policy, at both the state and national levels, striving toward the goal of families receiving the health care coverage they need, at the time they need it.
Bobby Peterson, Executive Director, accepts award for ABC for Health
Distinguished Service Award: Dane County Dental Society
For ongoing support of public health dental programs.
The Dane County Dental Society has provided community leadership in the field of dentistry and oral health for over 75 years. This organization is made up of individual dentists within our community who have not only served their private practice patients, but have also consistently served the community at large through their support of, and collaboration with Public Health and other organizations. They have been an ongoing partner and source of support for public health in many endeavors including:
- Providing fluoride supplements free of charge for children in Dane County who do not have adequate fluoride in their drinking water. (Over the years, DCDS has paid $40-50,000 worth of fluoride tablets and drops for approximately 54,000 children.)
- Purchasing portable dental equipment, dental supplies such as toothbrushes and toothpaste, educational materials for schools and resource materials for projects and staff
- Volunteering for dental sealants programs
- Providing care for approximately 250 children yearly in the Give Kids A Smile Program
- Providing free care in community clinics and special events
- Collaboration on access to care issues
 The Dane County Dental Society membership and leadership may have changed over the years, but their commitment to disease prevention, oral health promotion and their supportive and collaborative spirit has remained ever faithful.
Dr. Timothy Koob accepted the Distinguished Service Award for Dane County Dental Society. Pictured with Maureen Oostdik and Debi Chase, PHMDC Oral Health staff.
Leadership Award:
Dennis Maki, MD, Clinical Professor of Medicine, UW School of Medicine and Public Health
For leadership on emerging and continuing infectious disease issues and work with local public health in management of TB cases.
We are fortunate to have in our community, Dr. Dennis Maki, a nationally renowned expert and leader in the field of infectious disease. Dr. Maki generously shares his expertise locally, nationally and internationally for the benefit of public health. Dr. Maki is an Clinical Professor of Medicine, Infectious Disease Section, at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health, as well as the Hospital Epidemiologist at UW Hospital and Clinics and an attending physician at the UW Center for Trauma and Life Support. He has devoted his research career to the detection and prevention of hospital-acquired infections and other life-threatening infections and has been a clarion voice in drawing attention to national and global infectious disease issues as they transpire. Dr. Maki has been listed in every edition of Best Doctors in America since 1982, and has won numerous awards for his contributions and achievements in teaching and research on infectious disease.
Dr. Maki has distinguished himself in the field of infectious disease not only through research and teaching, but also in service to our local and state community of public health and primary care providers, who look to him for his leadership and expertise. He understands and supports the role that Public Health has to play in the protection of the community in management of infectious disease cases such as TB. Dr. Maki has established a best practices model for physician-public health TB case management, and encourages his colleagues to collaborate with public health as he does to assure the safety of the public.
Dr. Maki is often featured in the local, state, and national media, providing clear information on infectious disease issues with a prevention focus, yet without inciting unnecessary alarm.
Public health providers, the medical community and the public are fortunate to be able to count on Dr. Maki's leadership in protecting the publics' health against life-threatening infections.
Dr. Dennis Maki
Partnership Award:
UW Applied Population Laboratory - Bill Buckingham, Dan Veroff, David Long
For partnering with Public Health and building interactive mapping tools to inform public health program planning and decision-making.
For the past two years, the cartographers at UW Madison's Applied Population Lab (APL) have partnered with public health to visualize data to inform what we know about the health of people in our neighborhoods and communities. APL and cartographers, Bill Buckingham, Dan Veroff, and David Long have contributed in a central way to a collaboration called The Community Health Assessment Mapping Partnership, a group of people dedicated to reducing health disparity by geographically displaying pockets of need in the community and prioritizing health issues. Throughout the past two years, APL has been a loyal partner in this effort and has built maps to help us inform program planning and design of novel interventions. It is through this work that many other projects have been born including:
- Mapping the differences in WIC utilization compared to Medicaid eligible persons. This map was striking because it reflected the need to follow-up with persons enrolled in MA that are eligible for additional services, but are not accessing these services. Using the map we pinpointed exactly where the greatest need is (including the biggest disparity) and can now hone our efforts in targeted areas.
- The Mt. Horeb Safe Routes to School project , which is using maps to display safe walking routes to primary destinations - especially schools. This interactive map will not only allow parents to identify safe routes, but will encourage youth to walk to school rather than take a bus or get a ride, thus reducing obesity rates.
 APL's collaborative efforts with public health and local communities have demonstrated expectional committment to improving health outcomes and reducing health disparity.
Mayor Dave Cieslewicz, Seth Foley, WI Public Health Administrator, County Executive Kathleen Falk, Dan Veroff, accepting for UW Applied Population Lab, and Public Health Director Dr. Tom Schlenker
Prevention Award:
Dane County Early Childhood Initiative
For an innovative, integrated home visitation and employment program aimed at improving life chances for children and their families.
The Dane County Early Childhood Initiative (ECI) is an innovative home visitation and employment program started in July 2004. It is a prevention program achieved through a partnership of Dane County, Employment and Training Association, The Exchange Center, Dane County Parent Council, and the University of Wisconsin Medical and Social Work Schools, which oversees the Initiative. ECI is designed to improve life outcomes for our most vulnerable families, targeting services and resources to residents living in Allied Drive, Southwest Madison and Sun Prairie. Its purpose is to ensure that our youngest children achieve age appropriate developmental outcomes, arrive at school ready to learn and live in families that have the stability and resources necessary to support their path to successful adulthood.
ECI strives to increase families' access to an array of services including health and developmental screening and assessment; prenatal care; parenting education and support; immunizations and other preventative health care; benefit and basic needs resources; employment related assistance; and assistance in finding and sustaining employment through skill enhancement.
It currently serves 80 of the most challenged families in Dane County, the type of families that traditional service responses are not equipped to deal with effectively. Services are delivered and outcomes achieved through a team comprised of staff representing different types of professionals including Family Support Specialists, an Employment and Training Specialist, an Economic Support Worker and a Coordinator. Over 160 jobs for clients and family members have been acquired since the beginning  of the program, and 80% of ECI clients are in general compliance with their family plans, designed toimprove the life course of their children in the program.
ECI offers an integrative model for a broad array of services that improves life chances for children and their families, and overall public health in the process.
Jennifer Grether accepts the Prevention Award for the Early Childhood Initiative
Volunteer Award:
Rachel Martin and Nancy Gutknecht
For developing the Midvale Community Garden to improve the health of children at Midvale Elementary as well as the Midvale community.
In the fall of 2005, Rachel Martin and Nancy Gutknecht, parents of two Midvale students, first brought forward the idea of developing a Midvale community garden. Chief among their goals for developing the garden was to improve the health of children at Midvale Elementary as well as all members of the greater Midvale community. Today, the Midvale Community Garden is the signature piece of an ecological vision that Rachel and Nancy brought to fruition on the grounds of Midvale Elementary School. Students at Midvale Elementary School regularly tie science, social studies, health and nutrition, and other learning to activities in the garden. Students are also learning about the many health benefits associated with gardening and eating fresh fruits and vegetables.
What Rachel and Nancy have accomplished through their vision and collaborative efforts is amazing. They arranged for the installation of an underground waterline that provides gardeners with easy access to water; secured a grant to add 60 fruit trees, creating a living border between the garden and an adjacent soccer field; created a partnership with the Regent Street Coop to sell garden produce with proceeds used to sustain garden activities; and are connecting gardening activities with the school  lunch program with a composting program beginning this spring that will result in cafeteria food waste being put to use in the garden. They are consistently building school/community partnerships to find support for the continued development and long-term sustainability of the Garden.
This is not a formal job for either one, but the job is done for the pure and simple desire to teach children about healthy food choices and create a healthy community. The dedication and commitment Rachel and Nancy bring to making a difference in public health is to be commended and is a model for others.
Rachel Martin (Left) and Nancy Gutknecht
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