Rutgers School of Public Health’s Center for Public Health Workforce Development Receives President’s Special Recognition Award from the New Jersey Association of County and City Health Officials

Rutgers School of Public Health's Center for Public Health Workforce Development was honored with the President's Special Recognition Award from the New Jersey Association of County and City Health Officials (NJACCHO). This accolade recognizes the center's commitment to providing timely workforce development training for personnel in local health departments across New Jersey.

The center has coordinated monthly training and educational sessions designed for newly hired staff in local health departments, equipping them to serve their communities. A significant focus of these sessions has been on managing and containing communicable diseases, such as COVID-19.

The award was presented this month during the New Jersey League of Municipalities Annual Conference in Atlantic City. Colleen McKay Wharton, the program director of public health activities at the center, accepted the award and presented two conference sessions on behalf of NJACCHO. “Local health departments deliver essential public health services to their communities,” says Wharton. “We are honored to help support that work and very much appreciate the recognition.”

Linda Brown, executive director of NJACCHO, also attended the conference and participated in the award presentation. “The center is an essential partner in meeting the continuing education needs of public health workers in the state,” says Brown. “We are grateful to have the center as a valued partner in addressing the continuing education needs of public health workers.”

The center's impactful training and education initiatives are made possible through funding from the Region 2 Public Health Training Center, which provides education to public health workers across New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.