March 1, 2018

For Immediate Release
Contact: Jenny Matter

Jefferson County Public Health

(360) 385-9421

info@jeffersoncountypublichealth.org

Jefferson County Public Health is Celebrating 2018 National Public Health Week Beginning April 2

Jefferson County Public Health (JCPH) is celebrating National Public Health Week April 2-8, 2018. This year the National Public Health Week Theme is Healthiest Nation 2030: Changing our Future Together. Each year for National Public Health Week, JCPH and the Board of Health honor people and organizations who make a significant contribution to maintaining and improving health in Jefferson County. JCPH asks you to join the Board of Health in nominating local Public Health Heroes who make our community safer and healthier. We want to hear your story: Nominations are open to the public through March 26, 2018. Please submit a nomination for an individual, agency/business, or group you feel is making a difference in the health of Jefferson County.

JCPH began recognizing Public Health Heroes as a way to locally celebrate National Public Health Week by honoring people who live or work in Jefferson County, and who promote public health in their daily lives. The focus of Public Health is improving an entire community’s health through achieving healthier lifestyles and preventing health problems before they arise. Committed to helping communities become health places to live, work and play, Public Health provides reliable information that can be used to make healthy choices and to protect residents from hazards in the environment.

What is a Public Health Hero? A Public Health Hero is a person or an organization that promotes public health in daily life. Public Health Hero awards could represent the following categories, but are open to others:

• The Community Health Promotion award honors individuals or groups whose efforts increase the quality of life in the County.
• The Public Health Leadership award honors those in our community who have provided leadership in creating policy solutions that assure, promote, and protect the community’s health.
• The Business Merit award recognizes companies for environmentally sound practices that might include healthy lifestyle choices guiding decisions about what to sell, how to support employees’ health and health choices, and how to promote community health.
• The Community Based Organization award recognizes organizations that provide infrastructure and services that promote public health in a variety of ways.
• The Special Recognition for the Public Health Hero honors individuals or organizations who help identify a problem and then help the community work toward its resolution, e.g. planning trees, building trails, promoting physical exercise or healthy diets, or fitting children’s car seats, etc.

How to make a nomination:

• Nomination forms may be picked up at the JCPH office
• 615 Sheridan Street, Port Townsend, or
• By going to www.jeffersoncountypublichealth.org/202/Public-Healthand filling out the online form and emailing it to info@jeffersoncountypublichealth.org

How do I return the completed nomination form?

• Drop off or mail completed forms to: JCPH c/o Public Health Heroes, 615 Sheridan Street, Port Townsend, WA 98368, or
• Email to info@jeffersoncountypublichealth.org

May I nominate more than one person or group? You may nominate as many deserving individuals or groups as you like.

The deadline for submitting nominations is Monday, March 26th. Winners will be announced at the April 19th Jefferson County Board of Health Meeting, held at 615 Sheridan Street from 2:30 – 4:30.

Learn more about National Public Health week and “Healthiest Nation 2030: Changing Our Future Together” at www.nphw.org.

For further information, contact Vicki Kirkpatrick, call (360) 385-9400 or email jmatter@co.jefferson.wa.us.

###

Always Working for a Safer & Healthier Jefferson County