Message from the Administrator
Dear Friends of Public Health:
I am very excited, energized and appreciative to be back as Administrator of the Miami-Dade County Health Department, and have the opportunity for a new beginning.
It is because of MDCHD employees that I came back. Thinking of the possibilities and some unfinished business is what motivated me to come back to South Florida, after having served in Tallahassee as the Deputy State Health Officer.
I know that we have worked diligently over the years to improve the growth and success of our Department by championing performance excellence. We will continue on this journey using the principles and criteria of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. I know that we have exciting and fruitful years ahead of us.
Paths of Public Health Award
Recently, the Miami-Dade County Health Department received the Paths of Public Health Award for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, from Florida International University’s Robert Stempel School of Public Health.
This award recognizes individuals and organizations for their contributions and commitment to promoting and protecting the health of South Florida’s communities, and also serves to raise the community’s awareness and understanding of the contributions made by public health professionals. We are extremely honored and proud of this achievement. The work of each of you and your programs made this recognition possible.
Health Initiatives
We are also happy to announce that our Department has partnered Miami-Dade Transit to post disease prevention messages in public buses and the Metrorail throughout the County. As part of this initiative, Miami-Dade Transit will provide, free of charge, space to display posters developed for our periodic health campaigns, in an effort to prevent the spread of diseases. This project will be also extended to community centers, parks and other public places throughout the county.
As part of our commitment to maintain a healthier community, the Consortium for a Healthier Miami-Dade celebrated its first annual event, where it was revealed a survey that measures health status, health risks and access to healthcare services in Miami-Dade. The Consortium, launched in 2003 by our Department in order to address the increasing rates of chronic diseases, is aimed at enabling local communities to adopt healthy lifestyles.
On March 18th, 2008 the Consortium received an award from the Acting U.S. Surgeon General Rear Admiral Steven Galson for there work to reduce childhood obesity. He has launched a national initiative called “Healthy Youth for a Healthy Future” We also want to thank the State Surgeon General Dr. Ana Viamonte-Ros for joining us during the presentation of this award and the roundtable discussion with a great group of our community partners.
We will continue working on these and other initiatives to serve our community. Please join me in accepting the new challenges we have in front of us.
