2 weeks Ago By Emily Nguyen
Last week, Washington County Public Health (WCPH) put the spotlight on the unsung heroes of community health during National Public Health Week, as they hosted their 22nd annual Public Health Awards, bringing together more than a hundred locals on April 11—a celebration in tow.Among the honored, Angela Perry and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) Oregon Chapter bagged the Public Health Ambassador Award for their Advocacy Action Day efforts, teaching critical advocacy skills for suicide prevention, according to a Washington County press release, Project Access NOW nabbed the Partner in Public Health Award for its Community Health Worker Program which empowers underserved areas with health plan enrollment, pharmacy benefits navigation, and connections to vital services and Magdalena Ramirez, a WCPH Senior Program Coordinator, received the Washington County Employee Award, recognized for leading the charge in creating a Spanish language capacity-building space for local community health workers (CHWs) and traditional health workers (THWs).The event was more than just awards; it was storytime too, but not the kids' bedtime type—key speakers shared tales of public health work that's often invisible to the public eye like how CHWs are key connectors between healthcare support and the people, and hey, the county has a spruced-up 9-1-1 system now.
"Understanding what’s out there can be a huge help in knowing where to go if you need support with your health and well-being," Genevieve Ellis, WCPH Community Partnerships Coordinator, told officials.And it wasn't just a pat on the back for a few; local organizations set up shop to signal boost their resources—kudos to Centro Cultural de Washington County, Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center, Doulas Latinas International, and a bunch of others for lending their voices and volunteering their time. For those interested, you can head over to the County's Public Health Week page for a deep dive into the archives of past honorees and their community contributions.
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