Public Health Champion Awards Ceremony

2019 Public Health Champions
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County of San Diego Announces the

2020 Live Well San Diego

19th Annual Public Health Champion Awards Ceremony

 

The County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) is proud to announce the 2020 Live Well San Diego 19th Annual Public Health Champion Awards ceremony. This event recognizes extraordinary achievements in areas of public health service that protect and promote the health of the local population. The awards were created to honor the role of public/private collaborations that advance optimal health and wellness in the county’s diverse populations. 

This Year’s Event

As the County of San Diego continues to monitor, assess and address the health, safety, and well-being of our community during the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the 2020 Live Well San Diego 19th Annual Public Health Champion Awards in-person ceremony is canceled. 

However, the community will have a unique opportunity to hear an Award recipient announced once per day during the month of April after the County's 2:30 pm conference media questions. Each Awardee will be recognized, and have their name added to a permanent plaque located in the County’s Health Services Complex lobby. 

Tune in to watch the 2020 Live Well San Diego 19th Annual Public Health Champion Awards. The press conference will be available for viewers to watch at the San Diego County News Center. 

The 2020 Live Well San Diego 19th Annual Public Health Champion Awards Ceremony is a program of Live Well San Diego, a long-term vision for improving the health and wellness of all San Diegans. 

This Year’s Theme

The Live Well San Diego Public Health Champion Awards Ceremony is the County’s annual signature event during National Public Health Week.

This year’s theme award will recognize achievements related to the 2020 National Public Health Week theme: “NPHW @25: Looking Back, Moving Forward.” Visit the National Public Health Week website for a full description of the daily themes. These themes embody the vision of Live Well San Diego and the County’s strategic mission. The daily themes include the following: 

  • Mental Health
  • Maternal/Child Health 
  • Violence Prevention 
  • Environmental Health 
  • Education 
  • Healthy Housing 
  • Economics

General Criteria for Nominees

Candidates for the Live Well San Diego Public Health Champion Awards may be individuals (community leaders/representatives), or organizations (from all private, public, or government sectors) and must: 

  • Live and work in San Diego County;
  • Exemplify exceptional achievement, longstanding excellence, outstanding leadership, and have made contributions that have advanced the community’s health; and 
  • Demonstrate achievements in protecting and promoting the health of the San Diego County population (minimum of 10 years).

Prior nominees, who were not award recipients, are again eligible for nomination. Past award recipients are not eligible.

Specific Award Criteria for Nominees

All nominees/organizations are required to have a minimum of 10 years of experience in public health. 

1. Live Well San Diego Public Health Champion Award – Theme: “NPHW @25: Looking Back, Moving Forward.”
This award will honor an individual or organization that has demonstrated outstanding contributions in the area related to the theme of the annual National Public Health Week. The 2020 Theme award recipient should exemplify achievements in public health that have promoted prevention and good health and created a ripple effect throughout San Diego County communities.

The following award categories do not have to be related to the National Public Health Week theme:

2. Live Well San Diego Public Health Champion Award – INDIVIDUAL
This award honors an individual who has made outstanding contributions to the prevention of disease, or injury and/or the promotion of health, in the San Diego County community. Nominees may be professional/nonprofessional, community leaders, representatives, or volunteers for example: educators, health professionals (e.g., doctors, nurses), administrators, journalists, lawyers, or community organizers.

3.  Live Well San Diego Public Health Champion Award – ORGANIZATION
This award honors a community organization that has made outstanding contributions to the prevention of disease, or injury and/or the promotion of health, in the San Diego County community. Nominees may be public, private or not-for-profit and represent education, social welfare, journalism, medicine, law, a community organization or other appropriate entity.

4.  Live Well San Diego Public Health Champion Awards – REGIONAL & AGING & INDEPENDENCE SERVICES 
Nominations are submitted by the Directors of Regional Operations of the six HHSA regions and the Aging and Independence Services (AIS) Department on a specific Regional and Department Nomination Form.

These awards acknowledge individuals or organizations that have made outstanding contributions to the prevention of disease, injury and/or the promotion of health in their targeted areas. These awards are restricted to individuals or organizations that have a working relationship with one of the six HHSA regions and AIS. One recipient from each region and AIS will be selected. 

Nomination Process

It is once again time to nominate candidate(s) for the 2020 Live Well San Diego 19th Public Health Champion Award!

How to Nominate:

The nomination process requires that the nominator:

1)    Complete the appropriate online nomination form through Survey Monkey.

  • Live Well San Diego Public Health Champion Award – Theme: “NPHW @25: Looking Back, Moving Forward.”
  • Live Well San Diego Public Health Champion Award – INDIVIDUAL
  • Live Well San Diego Public Health Champion Award – ORGANIZATION

2)    Prepare 1 nomination letter.

  • Specific rationale/justification for the candidate's nomination for one of the three categories: 1) Theme, 2) Individual, and 3) Organization.
  • Candidate's public health background/experience, including results or outcomes of efforts and the significance of these contributions in improving the health of the community; such as, numbers of individuals served or reached by the activities, programs developed, changes implemented, and/or policies enacted.
  • Volunteer efforts (non-paid activities) and/or work efforts above and beyond normal work duties.
  • Information on the candidate's active involvement in the community as well as any previous recognition by the community served by the candidate.
  • Previous awards or recognition.
  • Description of outstanding leadership.
  • Letter should not exceed more than 3 pages doubled spaced.
  • Use 12-point font size, and Calibri or Arial for the font style.

3)    Obtain 2-3 letters of support.

  • Describes specific contributions related to the candidate’s nomination (letters should be addressed to the 2020 Live Well San Diego 19th Annual Public Health Champion Awards Selection Committee.)
  • No more than 2 pages doubled spaced per letter of support.
  • Use 11-point font size, and Calibri for the font style. 

4)    Obtain the nominees resume and/or Curriculum Vitae.

  • If you are nominating an individual for the “Individual or Theme” award category, you must submit a resume and/or CV for the nominee.
  • If you are nominating an organization, you do not need to submit a resume and/or CV. Providing background information/documentation will suffice.

5)    Submit other supporting material(s)

  • Submit document(s) highlighting outcomes achieved (e.g., report, PowerPoint, brief, article, written material developed by nominee).
  • Supporting materials should not exceed more than 15 pages.

6)    Submits all nomination materials via Survey Monkey by Sunday, March 1, 2020 by 11:59 pm. 

  • Please note only one document can be uploaded for each requirement. You will need to merge files into one document if you have multiple documents for each requirement.

 

Contact Lilly Najera Lilly.Najera @sdcounty.ca.gov with any questions.

 

Thank you for your support in recognizing our local public health champions!

Call for nominations announcement

Nomination criteria

Nomination form (online) | (PDF)

 

2019 Live Well San Diego Public Health Champion Recipients

In 2019, in honor of the National Public Health Week theme of Creating the Healthiest Nation: for Science. For Action. For Health, 17 Live Well San Diego Public Health Champions (listed below) were recognized for their outstanding work and contributions. View photos from the event. View the complete list of the 215 Live Well San Diego Public Health Champions selected from 2002 through 2019.

2019 RECIPIENTS

Director’s Awardees:

  1. The Children’s Initiative
  2. NAMI San Diego
  3. ABC10
  4. Caleb with Curls

Public Health Services Awardees:

  1. Brother Benno Foundation – Theme
  2. San Diego Blood Bank – Theme
  3. Suzanne Afflalo, M.D. – Individual
  4. Tracy Finlayson, Ph.D. – Individual
  5. St. Paul’s PACE – Organization
  6. Survivors of Torture, International – Organization

Regional and Aging and Independence Services

  1. Vickie Velasco – Aging and Independence Services
  2. San Diego Community Mentors – Central Region 
  3. Ramón Hernandez, DrPH, M.P.H. – South Region
  4. Crisis House – East Region
  5. Karen Lenyoun – North Central Region
  6. Scott Gross, Ed.D. – North Coastal Region
  7. Gently Hugged – North Inland Region

 

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If you have further questions, please contact Lilly Najera at (619) 692-8412 or Lilly.Najera @sdcounty.ca.gov.

The Live Well San Diego Public Health Champion Awards Ceremony is a component of Live Well San Diego, a long-term vision for improving the health and wellness of all San Diegans.