Feeding South Florida is amongst the 2016 Path Awards Winners

BY ISABEL GAMARRA

FIU NEWS

The Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work has selected the winners of the 2016 Path Awards.

The annual Path Awards honor professionals and organizations that are making a positive difference in South Florida in the fields of public health, social work and dietetics. The Path Award winners will be honored at a luncheon to be held at Jungle Island on Tuesday, April 19, 2016.

“The Path Awards is our way of saying ‘thank you’ to some of the many dynamic public health heroes in our community,” said Tomás Guilarte, the recently appointed dean of FIU Stempel College.

Some of the heroes being honored this year include the creator of the South Beach Diet, the CEO of Camillus House, Inc. and a veteran FIU educator.

In addition, for the first time ever, FIU Stempel College will be awarding the Corporate Award, which recognizes an organization that has made a significant contribution to the public health and social welfare of South Florida. This year’s honoree, the Office Depot Foundation, has demonstrated leadership and dedicated service through community initiatives that provide children tools to succeed in school, and help communities prepare for and recover from disasters.

The 2016 Path Awards winners are:

10-Year Award: Michele Ciccazzo, FIU Stempel College, for her significant contribution to public health and wellbeing. During her tenure as dean, FIU Stempel College achieved a rank of 23 in National Institutes of Health funding among schools of public health.
Lifetime Achievement Award: Arthur Agatston, Baptist Health South Florida, for his pioneering work in the field of noninvasive cardiac imaging as well as his creation of The South Beach Diet, as an effective dietary intervention that has helped millions lessen their risk of conditions such as diabetes and heart disease.
Pathfinder Award: Feeding South Florida, for helping to end hunger in South Florida by providing immediate access to nutritious food, leading hunger and poverty advocacy efforts, and transforming lives through innovative programming and education.
Corporate Award: Office Depot Foundation, for significant contributions to the public health and welfare of South Florida through leadership, vision, programs and financial support.
Advocacy Award: Shed Boren, Camillus House, Inc. and Camillus Health Concern, Inc., for his more than 30 years of work with vulnerable populations, which has focused on those living with HIV/AIDS, chronic diseases, mental health challenges and in poverty.
Disease Prevention Award: Union Positiva, for its focus on HIV/AIDS prevention and outreach focusing on Hispanics, as well as ensuring access to free HIV, HCV and STD testing services to all individuals in Miami-Dade County.
Environmental Health Award: Timothy G. Mayer, Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County, for his 32 years of professional experience in environmental public health in Florida, administering programs dealing with environmental health regulation.
Innovation Award: Mark Howard Rosenblum, University of Miami Jackson Health Systems, for his work as director of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children at the UM Jackson Medical Center, which is the only hospital-based WIC program in Florida.
Social Wellbeing Award: The Women’s Fund Miami-Dade, for its more than 22 years dedicated to improving the lives of women and girls through grant making, research, advocacy and education.
Young Professional of Promise Award: Alison Morales Kerr, Florida Department of Health in Monroe County, whose work and research has brought many residents, local agencies and organizations together to take initiative and become actively involved in improving public health.

To see the original post, click here.