OTTAWA COUNTY, MI — Amid public backlash and lawsuits, the Ottawa County Department of Public Health has won both national and state awards for its public health emergency and disaster response planning.

The health department announced last week it was the recipient of the Jean Chabut Health Policy Champion Award from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. OCDPH also received recognition for its ability to plan for, respond to, and recover from public health emergencies by the National Association of County and City Health Officials and Project Public Health Ready.

This is the second consecutive time the county’s health department was recognized by Project Public Health Ready and is one of just eight local health departments recognized in the country for its emergency preparedness in 2022. The OCDPH was also recognized from 2017-2021 for its preparedness, including for the COVID-19 pandemic.

To be recognized by the national organization, the health department had to prove it has a coordinated emergency response plan in place, along with the appropriate staff training needed to protect community health.

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“This honor is exceedingly well-deserved because it reflects tremendous effort, dedication, creativity and cooperation on the part of our entire team of experts,” Adeline Hambley, Ottawa County administrative health officer, said in a prepared statement. “I am very proud our team has been recognized for the second time by PPHR for our high level of preparedness. We will continue to improve our ability to quickly and effectively respond to future public health emergencies.”

During 2022, the OCDPH responded to a multistate E. coli outbreak, an Ebola outbreak and Avian influenza. In recent years, the health department also responded to Eastern Equine Encephalitis, a Legionnaire’s disease investigation at an Ottawa County hotel, PFAS-contaminated drinking water at Robinson Elementary School and a recurring multi-state Salmonella outbreak.

As part of Ottawa County’s emergency management response team, the health department also worked to address issues related to chemical spills, radiological exposure incidents, weather-related and environmental events.

“OCDPH preparedness staff members bring a vast depth of knowledge and experience to the county’s response team,” Lou Hunt, the county’s emergency management director, said in a prepared statement. “That experience is not limited to health emergencies. The department’s ability to plan for the needs of our citizens empowers the county to be resilient in the face of any hazard.”

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The OCPDH was also awarded the Jean Chabut Health Policy Champion Award from the state of Michigan on April 11 for its “significant contributions toward the health and well-being of Michigan citizens in the policy arena at the local and/or state level.”

The awards for the health department come on the tail of months of controversy over who should lead the department.

In January, a newly elected conservative Republican-majority county board of commissioners attempted to appoint a new administrative health officer, despite Hambley having been recently confirmed by the state for her position.

Since then, Hambley has filed a lawsuit against several county commissioners to remain in her job. That lawsuit is still making its way through the court system.

The health department also faced backlash for several links on its website providing information about abortions and the department’s participation in a sex education week at Grand Valley State University.

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