Vermont public health association

2023 Champion

Jill Lord, RN, MS - Individual Award

It would be impossible to overstate Jill Lord’s contribution to improving the health of the people of Vermont. Beginning her 45+ year nursing career at Mary Fletcher Hospital in Burlington as a staff nurse in the mid-1970, Jill was a community health nurse in Woodstock, a nurse leader at the VA Medical Center in White River Junction, a nurse educator at Norwich University, the Chief Nursing Officer of Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center for 24 years, and then for the 7 years before her retirement in January 2023, Mt. Ascutney Hospital’s Director of Community Health. In 1998, Jill Lord was instrumental in creating the Vermont Nursing Internship Program and served as President of their Board. She is a Past President and Member of the Vermont Organization of Nurse Leaders. Jill had a strong community health influence through the Windsor Health Services Area (HAS) Community Collaborative (the region’s Accountable Community for Health - ACH), the Windsor Area Community Partnership, the Blueprint for Health, the Windsor Area Drug Task Force, the PATCH Network, the Greater Upper Valley Integrated Services Team Executive Council, and myriad other community health initiatives. She was responsible for her hospital system’s Community Health Needs Assessment and subsequent Community Health Improvement Plans, to address gaps in services and programs based on community need. She was responsible for oversite of the disease prevention and health promotion programs and workgroups in the region, including the Spiritual Health Work Group. Somewhat unique for public health, Jill championed an understanding that our values, relationships, hope, and a sense of meaning and purpose in our lives contributes to wellbeing just like sufficient food, adequate physical activity, and stable housing. Of course, these latter needs (and others) are also ACH workgroup’s that she’s helped to support for the Windsor HSA. Jill was a master collaborator and over the years brought together literally 100’s of individuals and organizations to address the health priorities impacting the greater Windsor area. She led the Multi-Facility Ethics Committee and helped in the development of the Windsor Community Health Clinic, School Nurse program, Volunteers in Action, and the Complementary Alternative Medicine Program. In September 2011, Jill was appointed to the Governor's Blue-Ribbon Commission on Nursing. Past recognition of her tremendous efforts have included: the HCRS Community Partner Award (2011), Mt. Ascutney’s Foster McGaw Award for Excellence in Community Service from the American Hospital Association (2012), Vermont Medical Society Citizen of the Year (2015), Miles Jensen Award from Housing Vermont (2018), Hero and Leader Award from Vital Communities (2018), partners in Excellence Award from Support and Services at Home (2019), Certificate of Excellence in Systemic Improvement (2020), and (another) HCRS Community Partner Award (2022).

2022 Champions

Mark Levine, MD, VT Commissioner of Health - Individual Award

Dr. Mark Levine's dedication to the health of Vermonters has been evident through his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as his work in advocating for preventative health practices in primary care prior to COVID-19.  His leadership as Vermont’s Commissioner of Health was evident in the way that he and his team activated Vermont’s emergency crisis response, resulting in outcomes that were far less severe than was seen in other states. Dr, Levine served as a catalyst for Vermont’s collective response by coordinating the actions of public and private organizations including the VT Agency of Education, VT School Nurses Association, VT National Guard, the Association of Hospitals and Healthcare systems, and many others. He also implemented plans and programs to improve surveillance efforts that recognized and responded to the unique challenges faced by underserved and vulnerable populations. Additionally, he was a steadfast voice of evidence based, data driven information which helped to inform and educate everyone from policy makers to hard working Vermonters. 

Vermont National Guard COVID-19 Mapping Team -

Team Award

Citizen-soldiers have been an important part of protecting Vermonters for over 300 years.  The Vermont National Guard COVID-19 Mapping Team unit admirably continued this tradition as evidenced by their efforts during the pandemic. As part of the team’s charge to assist the Vermont Department of Health’s contact tracing efforts, the team sought and engaged in collaborations utilizing language interpreters, cultural brokers and other community assets to engage with communities in ways that demonstrate cultural humility and linguistic sensitivity. Not only did the Vermont National Guard COVID-19 Mapping Team collect information to support contact tracing, they served as an important source of information to individuals, communities, the Department of Health, and area healthcare centers. As a result, Vermont was spared from some of the worst impacts of COVID-19 that were experienced in other states. The team's efforts serve as a model for other organizations and teams in advancing health equity for all Vermonters.

2020 Champions

Dr. Maria Mercedes Avila - Individual Award

Dr. Avila has been involved in grants in the state and at the national level providing consultation, training and technical assistance on cultural and linguistic competence, health equity, and social justice in healthcare to more than 152 organizations, including all mental health agencies and hospitals in Vermont. She has demonstrated commitment to advancing health equity and addressing and eliminating health disparities by inspiring collaboration through strategic partnerships to create a culture of health in Vermont, working to expand community health workers and outreach to former refugee and immigrant communities in the state, and training more than 10,000 professionals across 27 states in understanding the connection between racial, gender, social, economic, educational, and health disparities and the role social determinants of health play in populations’ health outcomes.

Dr. John Brooklyn, Dr. Harry Chen, Barbara Cimaglio, Beth Tanzman - Team Award

Dr. John Brooklyn Dr. Harry Chen

Barbara Cimaglio Beth Tanzman

Dr. Brooklyn, Dr. Chen, Barbara and Beth designed and implemented the Hub and Spoke system of Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT), supporting people in recovery from opioid use disorder in Vermont, a program that has shown significant positive impacts for MAT participants such as decreased opioid use and in injection drug use, decreased emergency department visits, and increased satisfaction with their own lives.