Awards

Each year, MPHA recognizes excellence in public health by awarding the following distinctions to organizations and individuals who make a difference in Maine.

Call for Award Nominations

Our 2020 Awards Ceremony has been postponed. We will reopen nominations when the new date has been set. Thank you for understanding.

President’s Award

The President’s award is the highest award given by MPHA. Nominations are solicited and vetted by MPHA past presidents.

Award Recipients:

William Bredenberg (1991)  Lani Graham (1992) Darylen Cote (1993)  Mabel Wadsworth (1994) Ed Miller (1995)  Sharon Rosen (1996)

Karen O’Rourke (1997)  Robert McAfee, MD (1998) Peter Doran, Ph.D. (1999)  Judy Feinstein (2000) Lisa Belanger (2001)

Nate Nickerson (2002) Randy Schwartz (2003)  Barbara Leonard (2004) Dora Anne Mills, MD (2005)  Lisa Letourneau, MD (2006)

Warren Kessler (2007)  Tina Pettingill, MPH (2008) Julie Sullivan (2009)  Reverend Bob Carlson (2010) Stephen Sears (2011)

Hugh Tilson, PhD (2012) Doug Michael (2013)  Becky Smith (2014) Gordon Smith (2015) Joanne Joy (2016) Brownie Carson (2018) Maine Families for Vaccines (2019)

Public Health Program of Excellence Award

MPHA recognizes effective, efficient, evidence-based and creative public health programs that you know of in your community, district or throughout Maine. The goal of the Program of Excellence Award is to increase the visibility of public health initiatives in Maine, to promote adoption of effective public health programs, and to provide recognition to organizations involved in successful collaborative public health initiatives.

Award Recipients:

1997  Greater Portland Water Fluoridation Initiative, Portland Public Health;
Are You Man Enough to Stop?  Portland Public Health Division &
School Based Adolescent Immunization, Community Health Services

1998  Move and Improve, Eastern Maine Medical Center; Outer Island Initiative, Mt. Desert Island Hospital; Kids and Transportation, Greater Portland Council of Governments & Take a Breather! Work Smoke Free, Portland Public Health Division

1999  Ellsworth Area PATCH Exercise Programs; March Into May Greater Portland; Special Screening Day for Women, Portland &
Nursing and Wellness Center, Bath Housing Authority

2000  Saddleback Youth Initiative & Farmington Healthy Community Coalition

2001  Parents are Teachers Too

2002  AH! Asthma Health Program

2003  ME Cares Program at Medical Care Development & Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study in Public Health, UNE

2004    Maine Comprehensive Cancer Control Initiative

2005  Maine-ly Nutrition; PTM Treatment Initiative & The Maine Tobacco Free College Network

2006  Raising Readers, MaineHealth & Power Up!  Healthy Portland, City of Portland

2007  The Smoke-Free Housing Coalition of Maine

2008  Let’s Go!

2009  Maine Youth Overweight Collaborative (MYOC)

2010  Maine Newborn Hearing Program & the Mt. Desert Visiting Nurses Program

2011  United Somali Women of Maine

2012  Diversion Alert Program

2013  Healthy You

2014  Portland Defending Childhood

2015   Muskie Public Health Education Corps & Camp Adventure

2016 WinterKids

2018 The Locker Project

2019 Maine Department of Transportation: My Maine Sign

Ruth S. Shaper Memorial Award

The Ruth S. Shaper Memorial Award recognizes an individual who has made a significant contribution in the area of public health. The individual will have demonstrated a broad orientation to health promotion and disease prevention that extends beyond his/her specific profession or field of interest. For example, the individual may have made a meaningful impact in health legislation, health education, health policy development, or consumer advocacy at either the community or state level. Professional rank or status in an organization is not an important factor.

Award Recipients:

Merle Nelson    Eleanor Irish    Jane Root    Mal Leary  Cameron Duncan    Natural Resources Council of Maine  Diane Atwood

Michael Chitwood    Charlene Rydell  Mercy Hospital    Parker Harris  ME Senate, House of Reps, Exec Branch  Portland City Council

Judith Peavey  ME House/Senate/Executive Branch  Pat Pierson  Jean Lavigne  Richard Batt    Maroulla Gleaton  Sean Faircloth

Steven Rowe  Rebecca Matusovich  James Cohen   Betsy Sweet  Dora Anne Mills  Lauri Sidelko/UM Tobacco-Free Campus Comm.

Portland Board of Education  Dr. Jon Fanburg    Megan Rochelo    Wendy Wolf    Andy Smith    Lani Graham

Phebe Conrey King Access to HealthCare Award

The Phebe Conrey King Access to Healthcare Award recognizes an individual or individuals who have made a significant contribution to improving access to healthcare in Maine.  The individual(s) will have demonstrated leadership abilities in promoting increased access to healthcare by all Maine residents.  He or she will have made a significant contribution toward meeting the needs of the uninsured and medically under-served.  The nominee need not be a member of the Maine Public Health Association.  Programs are not eligible as MPHA has previously established an award to recognize exemplary programs.

Eligible recipients will have made a significant contribution to improving access to healthcare in Maine.  Nominees will be judged on the following criteria:

• Proven leadership abilities in promoting increased access to healthcare by Maine residents.
• Evidence that their efforts have led to the actual provision of healthcare services to the under-served.
• A deep commitment to the goal of healthcare access by Maine residents.

Past recipients of the Phebe Conrey King Access to Healthcare Award:

2005: Gov. John E. Baldacci
2006: Chris Carpenter
2007: Leah Binder
2008: Mike McCarthy Special mention to Portland Public Schools Board
2010: Patsy Leavitt
2011: Jane Pringle, MD
2012: Peter McQuire, MD
2013: Kathy Martin, RD, MS
2018: Natalie Morse
2019: Carol Zechman

Pam M.B. Studwell Tobacco Policy Award

The Pamela M.B. Studwell Tobacco Policy Award is given to an individual whose dedication, persistence, and passion for improving lives has significantly advanced best practice tobacco policies in Maine.

Past recipients of the Pamela M.B. Studwell Tobacco Policy Award:

2010: Jo Linder, MD
2011: John Archard
2012: Dennise Whitley
2014: Carol Coles
2018: MaineHealth Health Index Team (Tim Cowan, Nancy Mooney, Kate Allerding)
2019: Becky Smith

Public Health Policy Champion Award

This award recognizes a policymaker who has made a significant contribution to public health in Maine. This award was new for 2018. Past recipients of the Public Health Policy Champion Award:

2018: Representative Jay McCreight (D-Harpswell)
2019: Senator Rebecca Millett (D-Cape Elizabeth)

Public Health Journalism Award

This award recognizes a journalist who has made a significant contribution to public health in Maine. This award was new for 2018. Past recipients of the Public Health Journalism Award:

2018: Matt Stone (Bangor Daily News)
2019: Joe Lawlor (Portland Press Herald)

Public Health Business Champion Award

This award recognizes a business for its leadership and commitment to integrating and promoting public health values into business practices. This award was new for 2018. Past recipients of the Public Health Business Champion Award:

2018: Sterling Rope
2019: MaineWorks

Public Health Rising Star Award

This award recognizes a young professional (<40 years old) in Maine who has made a significant contribution to public health in Maine. This award was new for 2018. Past recipients of the Public Health Rising Star Award:

2018: Erin Guay (Healthy Androscoggin)
2019: Emma Bond (ACLU, Maine)

Unsung Hero Award

Public health is at its best when we don’t realize it’s serving us – this award is for those who work hard every day to protect and promote public health in whatever capacity is needed, and with a commitment to excellence. The new award recognizes an individual, department or organization who has positively influenced public health in Maine from behind the scenes. This award was new for 2019, and the inaugural recipient was the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention.