Photo: Rashmi Travis, Health Officer, Laura de la Rambelja, Acting Director Division of Local Health Services, and Angela Aldrich, Director of Personal and Preventative Health Services. (Courtesy photo)
The Jackson County Health Department has received the 2019 Director’s Award for Local Public Health. The award was presented at the Michigan Premier Public Health Conference last week. This award was given specifically for innovative and outstanding activities and actions by the JCHD Communicable Disease Division as a result of a tuberculosis outbreak.
Communicable disease nurses Tracy Payne and Cayci Mustafa, along with Director of Personal and Preventative Health Services Angela Aldrich, worked to assure the basic mandated service of tuberculosis investigation and control were successfully completed. Tracy and Angela worked with Rashmi Travis, Health Officer, and Dr. Courtland Keteyian, Medical Director, to assess the situation and issue warning notices as appropriate to prevent the further spread of illness.
In addition, the team worked with a variety of health and human service agencies to assess clients’ needs and connect them to housing assistance, employment options, and food assistance. Over 100+ contacts were identified as a result of this investigation and the team worked with staff from 6 different health departments, legal resources, and the local hospital system to assure that clients’ needs were assessed, resources provided, and treatment was administered appropriately.
The Jackson County Health Department received a plaque, traveling trophy, and $1000 for their outstanding response to this TB event.
In a release, the Health Department stated, “This award is a testament to JCHD’s commitment to working together to create and promote a healthy community through disease prevention and control, health education, environmental protection, and emergency preparedness.”