Health Forward Recognizes Lafayette County Health Department as the 2011 Recipient of the Healthy Lafayette Award

Date: May 26, 2011
Contact: Jennifer Sykes
Phone: 816-241-7006
KANSAS CITY, MO – The Health Forward Foundation is pleased to announce the Lafayette County Health Department as the 2011 recipient of the Healthy Lafayette Award.

The Healthy Lafayette Award is the first in a series of awards given to leaders in Allen, Cass, Lafayette counties and the Kansas City metropolitan area. Nominations were submitted online for those individuals and agencies who are working to promote good health among the uninsured and underserved in Lafayette County.

A ceremony will be held on Friday, May 20 at 3:30 at the Lafayette County Health Department to present the the award and a $5,000 check.

“We are very pleased to be receiving this award,” says Nola Martz, Administrator of the department. “In spite of the constrained economic times to support our core public health operations, our staff work hard to provide programming that addresses the greatest threats to the health of our county’s residents, many of whom are uninsured or underinsured.”

Each nomination was reviewed by a panel of judges representing the Health Forward Board of Directors, the Health Forward Community Advisory Committee and Health Forward Associates. The judges developed a point system to measure the nominee’s level of involvement in health improvement activities and the impact of the activities. Nominations were judged on whether the nominee helped the uninsured and underserved through an initiative, actively influencing public policies, participating or planning events and working or volunteering to help individuals and families to lead healthier lives.

“Through the Healthy Lafayette award, the Health Care Foundation recognizes and acknowledges all of those in Lafayette County who are actively helping the uninsured and underserved lead healthier lives. We are proud to award the Lafayette County Health Department with the 2011 Healthy Lafayette award for their work toward eliminating barriers to health for those in Lafayette County,” said Steve Roling, Health Forward President/CEO.

The Lafayette County Health Department has a strong history of identifying those issues in the county that threaten the health of its citizens and of working toward solutions to these issues. Although the focus of a public health department is to assure core Public Health services that include disease prevention and health promotion and protection programs geared toward improving the health of a population, recent economic times have revealed needs not typically addressed by public health departments. The department has developed programs ranging from lab work, preventive dental screenings and women’s heart health prevention program.

Other nominees included House of Hope, Toniann Richard and Marsha Corbin.