Kinston-   The Lenoir County Alliance for a Healthy Community today announced the recipient of the latest Healthy Community Hero Award.  Individuals or organizations are being recognized for demonstrating excellence through a project or program of action, within recent history, and one that results in exemplary effort and impact in improving the health of the community. 

Lenoir County Health Department is recognized as an outstanding community organization having demonstrated remarkable dedication with positive impact in Lenoir County during the time of COVID response.  Many departments and staff within the Lenoir County Health Department have worked outside their normal scope of work in order to minimize disease spread, reduce deaths, and to provide COVID safety information and preparedness to the community.

The Healthy Community Hero Award was made to the Lenoir County Health Department specifically for the work that has supports the community in a time of COVID pandemic crisis. Key areas of excellence include analyzing community data, maintaining outstanding communications about COVID status and planning, safety work with area business and industries, community-wide COVID testing and PPE purchasing. Community education has been a paramount need and the LCHD response has been widespread to inform while also facilitating relationships.

Tracing and tracking are ongoing in a professional manner that fosters trust and respect within the intense public health situation. Lenoir County residents have been able to better understand the level of disease burden and through the work of this organization, persons in their homes, congregate living facilities, schools, and businesses have been positively impacted from the work of the LCHD team.

Pam Brown, LCHD director states, “All of this was completed with great patient care and professionalism, while the team was exhausted.” James Hood and Constance Hengel from the Alliance Hero committee underscore the importance of the excellent work of the Lenoir County Health Department and the designation of this award in recognizing the entire organization during the pandemic..

For more information about Lenoir County Health Department’s services, visit https://lenoircountync.gov/health-department    or call 252-526-4200.

Nominations for the Healthy Community Hero Award are accepted through a simple nomination process. A nomination form may be obtained by going to www.facebook.com/lenoircountyallianceforahealthycommunity ( note: you do not have to use facebook to access this location) and it can be submitted to the group in an open nomination cycle.  Individuals or organizations that are selected will be recognized throughout the year and this award offers the particular opportunity to recognize a diversity of important work that often goes unsung in the life of a community. 

The Lenoir County Alliance for a Healthy Community is a an umbrella  community coalition that seeks to improve quality of life through promoting healthy living for all residents in Lenoir County by partnering with private, public, grassroots organizations and individual citizens. This group encourages a healthier community through facilitation of increased knowledge of community resources and initiatives, utilizing networking and collaboration to decrease barriers for an optimally healthy community. 

Started in 1999 and recognized as a certified Healthy Carolinians task force in 2000, the group includes representatives from dozens of community agencies. The Alliance meets ten months a year at 8:30 am on the fourth Tuesdays at the NC Veterans Home, and serves as an advisory committee for several local organizations. Invitation is open to the community.