The Eau Claire City-County Board of Health was recently named Board of Health of the Year by the 2021 Wisconsin Association of Local Health Departments and Boards for its “exemplary quality in response to critical local public health needs,” according to a media release.

“During the past year, the Board of Health has been particularly supportive of staff and leadership in the difficult work of pandemic response,” said Lieske Giese, Eau Claire City-County Health Department director. “As meetings shifted to web-based platforms, all board members leaned in hard to stay connected and show their caring for the work that the team was doing to protect the health of those that live, study, work, and play in Eau Claire.”

In addition to recognizing the health department’s pandemic efforts, the nomination praised the board’s commitment to “racism as a public health priority plan” as well as their “strong population health advocacy, their commitment to excellence, and their caring for all members of the community, particularly those that are most vulnerable.”

Members of the board include Emily Berge; Don Bodeau, MD; Jennifer Eddy, MD; Mark Kaeding; Terry Miskulin, DDS; Martha Nieman; Merey Price, RN; and True Vue.

The awards – including a Health Officer of the Year recognition that was awarded to Janel Heinrich of Public Health Madison-Dane County – will be celebrated during the Public Health Awards Ceremony at 7pm on May 25.

More information can be found at walhdab.org or www.eauclairewi.gov/government/our-divisions/health-department.