Health department employee receives Iowa Public Health Heroes Award

MASON CITY – Karen Crimmings, RN Chronic Disease Prevention & Health Promotion Manager with the Cerro Gordo County Department of Public was named the 2014 Iowa Public Health Hero by the University of Iowa. Karen is one of four individuals to receive this award. The award is designed to recognize public health practitioners who have worked to promote a healthier state through wellness and disease prevention initiatives. They must demonstrate and exemplify the values of the University of Iowa’s College of Public Health, including community engagement, integrity, continued learning, quality, responsibility, and social justice.

Karen was nominated for her collaborative work with many area agencies on such initiatives as increasing HPV and childhood vaccination rates, employing an early detection illness observation system to predict various outbreaks of contagious illnesses, implementing multiple Patient Assistance Programs for Health Department patients, and playing a key role in the fruition of the Free Health Care Clinic.

“Karen is an invaluable asset to our Health Department, as well as the Public Health system in general,” said Brian Hanft, Deputy Director, Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health. “Her influence on the advancement in patient services and epidemiology surveillance go far beyond Cerro Gordo County .”

Karen has been an employee of the Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health for 12 years. For the past nine years, Karen has been the Disease Prevention Service Manager. She recently took over the Chronic Disease Prevention & Health Promotion division within the Health Department. Karen joins the ranks of many other astute public health practitioners who have received this prestigious award.

Karen will be recognized at the 15th Annual Iowa Public Health Practice Colloquium in Iowa City on Tuesday, October 7th.