PENNSYLVANIA — The Shapiro Administration announced this week the recipients of the 2023 Governor’s Awards for Excellence, a prestigious program that recognizes commonwealth employees for their exemplary job performance, reflecting initiative, leadership, innovation, and outstanding public service. Among the honorees was a cross-bureau taskforce from the Department of Health recognized for their response to the 2022 mpox (often referred to as monkeypox) outbreak, formerly known as monkeypox.
The taskforce members receiving the award include Bureau of Communicable Diseases Director Jill Garland; Public Health Program Directors Beth Butler, Thomas McCleaf, and Mari Jane Salem-Noll; Community Health Nurse Supervisor Mia Russo; Bureau of Emergency Preparedness and Response Director Andrew Pickett; Bureau of Epidemiology Assistant Director Lisa McHugh; Epidemiologist Manager Atmaram Nambiar; Bureau of Community Health Systems Nursing Director Jennifer Shirk; and Microbiologist Supervisor Melinda Johnston.
Dr. Debra Bogen, Acting Secretary of Health, praised the team for their strategic and collaborative efforts in managing the outbreak. “I am proud of the way this team strategically worked together to overcome logistical challenges and successfully distribute mpox tests, treatment, and vaccines to the populations most in need,” she said. “Thanks to this team working together across the Department, we were able to prevent mpox cases and deaths while supporting health equity in Pennsylvania.”
The team advocated for equitable vaccine distribution across the Commonwealth, collaborating with federal partners and local health departments to ensure vaccine availability where the need was greatest. Despite challenges associated with a limited vaccine supply, the team developed a strategic plan to deliver the vaccine and test kits to locations where individuals most impacted by the outbreak already receive services. This Pennsylvania model would later be emulated by other jurisdictions across the country.
While the mpox outbreak spread throughout the country, the efforts of the Pennsylvania Department of Health taskforce kept local case counts low, with no deaths reported in the Commonwealth.
The Governor’s Awards for Excellence is a competitive program that acknowledges the commitment and dedication of Commonwealth employees. The 2023 recipients include 54 employees from eight agencies, all recognized for their significant accomplishments in 2022. The recognition of the Department of Health taskforce underscores the critical role these professionals play in safeguarding the health and well-being of Pennsylvania’s citizens, particularly during public health crises.
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