Awards Received

Recognition and honors for the Northern Kentucky Health Department programs and employees

The Northern Kentucky Health Department has received many prestigious awards and honors over the years for its programs, outreach and exemplary individuals, who help lead the charge toward greater public health in Northern Kentucky.

2009-- Barbara Laing, Senior Case Manager in the HIV/AIDS case management program, received the Outer Limits award at the Kentucky HIV/AIDS conference, held May 20-22 in Louisville. Barbara was recognized for her outreach efforts to promote HIV services.

2008-- Monica Smith, R.D., L.D., Community Dietitian, was selected as Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year by the American Dietetic Association. The award is given annually through each state affiliate association in recognition of significant contributions to the profession and association. Smith was recognized for her participation in the Greater Cincinnati Dietetic Association for recruitment of new members and working to improve communication within the local association. She was also awarded for her efforts to promote nutrition in the Northern Kentucky community, including her work to promote childhood obesity prevention through programs such as Just for Kids and the Kids Fruit and Vegetable Challenge. She was recognized as well for her efforts to improve children’s nutrition and physical activity in the school environment as co-chair of the Northern Kentucky region of Action for Healthy Kids, a national coalition that addresses the epidemic of overweight, undernourished and sedentary youth by focusing on changes at school.    

2007-- The Kentucky Department for Public Health received a Special Achievement in GIS (Geographic Information System) award at the Environmental Systems Research Institute’s Annual User Conference in San Diego, Calif. Ned Kalapasev, Database/GIS Manager, was part of the winning group. Ned's main job was to geocode clinical records for lead level lab results, meaning he mapped the records of blood lead tests that had already been performed and assigned them to specific locations and addresses. He dealt with more than 50,000 records for the entire Commonwealth of Kentucky.  

2006-- Karen Domaschko, Human Resources Administrator, and Barbara Laing, HIV/AIDS Case Manager, received Regional Diversity Outreach Awards from the Bowles Center for Diversity Outreach. Domaschko was honored for her work with PACE (Preparing Adults for Competitive Employment) program which offers practical work experience to individuals who have disabilities but wish to return to the workplace or establish a new career. Laing was recognized by the Bowles Center for promoting and demonstrating outstanding commitment to diversity in health education and service in Northern Kentucky.

2004-- Stephanie Vogel, Health Education Manager, was honored with NorthKey Community Care's Community Partner award. Vogel was recognized for her work with NorthKey's Worksite Wellness Committee to implement programs and initiatives that promote the health of their employees, and for her work on tobacco prevention and policy in the community.

2003-- Jennifer Hunter R.N., B.S.N., Clinical Quality Assurance Manager, was a member of the team chosen as a runner-up for the National Public Health Leadership Institute/American Public Health Association Balderson Leadership Award. The Balderson award is one of the highest honors given in public health. Hunter’s group presentation, “Public Health Nursing Competencies,” was selected as the best of the nine presentations at the Kentucky Public Health Leadership Institute on April 28, 2003.  The leadership institute program provides yearlong training for 40 people from all over Kentucky, who have been nominated by their peers.

2001-- The Health Department was chosen as one of nine health departments in the nation to serve as a demonstration site for the Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP). MAPP is a strategic planning tool developed by the National Association of County and City Health Officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which engages the community in the development of a plan for a strengthened local public health system.