Awards
2022 N.C. Outstanding Board of Health
The Henderson County Board of Health was awarded the 2022 Outstanding Board of Health by the Association of North Carolina Boards of Health.
The board received the 2022 ANCBH Outstanding Board of Health, among the 85 boards of health in North Carolina, for its proactive accomplishments. These include expansion of public health capacity, strategic planning for behavioral health and substance use priorities, progress with local tobacco policy, communications with the public and prioritization of community partnerships.
“We are honored to be recognized by the Association of North Carolina Boards of Health for this award,” said Board Chairperson Dr. Maggie Hayes. “We have a great group of professionals who are committed to our mission of promoting, protecting and advancing the health and wellness of our community.”
This is the third time the Henderson County Board of Health has won the Outstanding Board of Health award, with past honors in 2015 and 2018.
2018 N.C. Outstanding Board of Health
The Henderson County Board of Health was selected on September 20 as a 2018 Outstanding Board of Health by the Association of North Carolina Boards of Health. Today, there are 84 Boards of Health in the state of North Carolina. Board members associated with the award include Robyn Sutton Bryson, Bo Caldwell, James Crafton, Robert Duffey, David Ellis, Graham Fields, Bill Lapsley, Leslie Leidecker, Craig Poole, Pete Richards, and Barbara Stanley.
The Henderson County Board of Commissioners formally recognized the Board of Health at the October 1 meeting. Several members of the board were presented with a plaque by Commissioner Bill Lapsley, who serves on the Board of Health. He said the award was presented for the board’s dedication to public service and its “dedication to population health by expanding the number of school nurses employed by the health department and a visionary approach to substance abuse and mental health.”
"To my knowledge, it is unprecedented for a board of health to win this award twice within a four-year span," said Health Director Steve Smith.
2015 N.C. Outstanding Board of Health
The Henderson County Board of Health was selected in 2015 as a N.C. Outstanding Board of Health by the Association of North Carolina Boards of Health. There are 85 Boards of Health in North Carolina. Henderson County's Board of Health was one of two recipients for this award.
The board was recognized for its work in community involvement, citizen support, interagency collaboration, innovative approaches and impact on public health. The award was given at the 2015 N.C. Health Director’s Conference in Raleigh on January 22, 2015, to Steve Smith, Health Director for the Henderson County Department of Public Health.
At the February 10, 2015, regular Board of Health meeting, Smith recognized current and previous board members for their public health advocacy and presented them with the N.C. Outstanding Board of Health award. Those associated with the award included Jerald Pyles, Pete Richards, Craig Poole, Beverly Hargus, Barbara Stanley, Robyn Sutton Bryson, Bill Lapsley, Jim Crafton, Graham Fields, Terry Hicks, and Kris Peters. Previous board members included Larry Young, Elizabeth Todd and Phil Sellers.
According to the Association of North Carolina Boards of Health, this board was selected for demonstrating its leadership through engaging community stakeholders to define critical public health capacities; expanding the department’s school‐based influenza vaccination campaign; collaborating with Henderson County Partnership for Health to increase efforts to prevent prescription drug abuse and advancing local tobacco use prevention policy discussions.
On March 18, 2015, the Henderson County Board of Commissioners formally recognized the board for receiving a North Carolina Outstanding Board of Health award.
