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Dear Community Members,
The Public Health Works! Honor Roll
The Public Health Works! Honor Roll recognizes local public health workers as an essential part of State Health Commissioner Dr. James V. McDonald’s efforts to improve well-being and fairness in healthcare across New York. At the heart of every successful health initiative are the people who show up every day to protect our community. This month, we are proud to highlight one of our own.
Recognizing Andrea Whitmarsh – 11 Years of Service
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Andrea Whitmarsh willingly and tirelessly shifted her responsibilities to one of the most pressing needs of the pandemic, communications. Having received training as a Public Information Officer, along with experience in public health messaging, marketing and communications, Andrea was an excellent fit to meet the community’s insatiable demand for constant communications and information.
Thousands of people were reached, engaged with, and shared information on our Department’s primary social media platform, Facebook. Followers commented and asked questions on posts and she read and responded professionally and repeatedly at all times of the day and night. She responded to inquiries from the media, schools, business owners, hospitals, nursing homes, and so many public and private entities seeking the most current guidance and information from a local source.
She was promoted to Program Coordinator and continues to act as a member of the Department’s leadership team. As the pandemic demands lessened, Andrea took on a new responsibility, working on the Community Health Assessment and Improvement Plan. She re-engaged community based organizational partners, launched a community survey, identified new data sources, and used new data visualizations to help provide snapshots of data by topic. She provided presentations on community needs and the county’s Community Health Improvement Plan to the Department’s new staff, governing bodies, community-based coalitions and communities and stakeholders.
Andrea now regularly shares these updates and health strategies with our new staff, county leaders, and community coalitions.
We proudly recognize Andrea Whitmarsh for her long-standing dedication to our team and our goal of building healthy people in healthy communities.
Sincerely,
Linda Beers
Director of Public Health
phone: 518-873-3500
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