Sept. 2, 2015

FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH EARNS HONORS FOR EXCELLENCE IN PUBLIC HEALTH COMMUNICATION

Contact:
Office of Communications
NewsMedia@flhealth.gov
(850) 245-4111

Tallahassee, Fla.–This week, the National Public Health Information Coalition (NPHIC) announced the Florida Department of Health has been recognized in a national competition honoring excellence in public health communication.

“Our communications team is committed to helping Florida’s residents and visitors stay well informed about health issues in our state,” said State Surgeon General and Secretary of Health Dr. John H. Armstrong. “Excellence in public health communication remains a hallmark of Florida’s Department of Health.”

The department won the following awards:

• Gold Medal in the Thinking on Your Feet / Real-Time Crisis and Emergency Risk Communications category for statewide “Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness” efforts. Public and private partnerships were engaged at the local and state level to develop and deliver extensive Ebola Virus Disease information, education, outreach materials and resources to the public and health care professionals to aid in keeping Floridians healthy and safe. Visit www.floridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/ebola/index.html.

• Gold Medal in the Promotional Campaigns category for the in-house production of “Is Your Well Water, Well?” to encourage private well testing and elimination of contaminants that endanger the health of well water consumers and health of the spring-fed groundwater. Visit www.floridahealth.gov/environmental-health/private-well-testing/index.html.

• Silver Medal in the Print category for the “Florida Department of Health Annual Year in Review 2013-14,” which highlights the department’s innovative efforts in programs and services. The report also emphasizes the importance of protecting, promoting and improving health in Florida. Visit www.issuu.com/floridahealth/docs/year_in_review_13-14?e=0/9753776.

“As a recipient of a NPHIC award, the Florida Department of Health has been designated by an independent panel of judges at the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication as among the year’s best in public health communication,” said NPHIC President William Furney. “Congratulations on helping NPHIC pursue our mission to ‘make public health public.’”

NPHIC is the leading national organization for public health communication professionals. NPHIC’s ranks include public information officers, risk communicators and health educators at state, tribal and local health departments across the country. As the recognized voice of public health communication, NPHIC’s award program offers gold, silver and bronze awards in 17 public health communication categories.

For more information about NPHIC, visit www.nphic.org. To view all winning entries in this year’s award program, click on the following: www.nphic.org/awardentries.

About the Florida Department of Health

The department works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts.

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