Rural and public health providers, volunteers and organizations were recognized recently with awards.

The North Dakota Public Health Association presented the 

• Public Health Worker of the Year to Debbie Swanson, Grand Forks Public Health Department, Grand Forks, and
• Outstanding Service to Heidi Heitkamp, Mandan.

The North Dakota Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program’s Making a Difference Award went to the MeritCare Critical Access Hospital Network, Fargo.

The Dakota Conference on Rural and Public Health planning committee presented three awards:

• Outstanding Rural Health Professional to Sharon Ericson, CEO, Valley Community Health Centers, Northwood;
• Outstanding Rural Health Program to Altru’s Hospice in Partnership with Faith in Action, Cavalier;
• Outstanding Rural Health Provider to Gwen Witzel, Cavalier County Memorial Hospital, Langdon, and
• Outstanding Rural Health Volunteer to Sarah Heitkamp, Petersburg.

 The awards are presented annually as part of the Dakota Conference on Rural and Public Health, which was canceled because many of the conference’s participants were providing support during the statewide emergency from flooding and severe weather.