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.
Related: Health officer asks judge for longer protection from Ottawa County firing her
“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,