Archive Index  / Volusia County Health Department Receives National Recognition  For Information Technology Achievement (posted: 08/12/11)

Source: Volusia County Health Department
Contact: Stefany Strong, Public Information Officer
 

AWARD SHINES SPOTLIGHT ON EFFORTS TO GO GREEN AND REDUCE PAPERWORK

Pictured from left to right: NACCHO Award winners Diane Byerly, Jack Myers,
Deborah Barry, Julie Swenson and Dr. Bonnie J. Sorensen
 

(DAYTONA BEACH) – The Volusia County Health Department (VCHD) was honored at the 2011 annual conference of the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) for developing and implementing a program that demonstrates exemplary qualities in response to a local public health need. The Master Employee Information System (MEI) was one of 41 public health programs selected from across the nation to receive NACCHO’s Model Practice Award.

The MEI is a web-based system that provides local access and control over important information for VCHD employees. The system empowers employees to maintain their demographic information in MEI to ensure that information is accurate and up to date. It maintains work and home phone numbers, addresses, and emergency contact information. The system also allows leaders to keep track of Human Resource position numbers and supervisor information, special needs shelter assignments, records of keys and electronic equipment, and staff training records.

“This award is evidence of our commitment to developing innovative systems that improve our efforts of going green by using a paperless system,” said Dr. Bonnie J. Sorensen, director of the Volusia County Health Department.

The award-winning projects were reviewed by other local health department professionals and selected from 130 applications. Since 2003, NACCHO’s Model Practice Awards program has honored initiatives that demonstrate how local health departments and their community partners can collaborate effectively to address local public health concerns.

The MEI is now part of NACCHO’s database of successful public health practices. The database allows users to benefit from colleagues' experiences, to learn what works, and to ensure that resources are used wisely.

For more information about the NACCHO Model Practice Awards and to view a list of other award winners, go to www.naccho.org.

The National Association of County and City Health Officials represents the nation's 2,800 local governmental health departments. These city, county, metropolitan, district and tribal departments protect and promote health and well-being for all people in their communities.