~ Florida Sterling Council Honors Four Diverse Role Model Organizations~

(Black PR Wire) TALLAHASSEE –Governor Rick Scott and the Florida Sterling Council today announced that the Florida Department of Health in Bay County is the recipient of the prestigious Governor's Sterling Award for 2017. Additionally, the Governor’s Sterling Sustained Excellence Awards were given to: TheOrange County Public Schools Operations Division, the Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County, and the Florida Department of Health in St. Johns County.

“The Governor’s Sterling Award winners reflect our focus of making Florida the best state in the nation to live, work and raise a family. I am pleased that Florida is leading the nation and I congratulate this year’s top-performing Sterling Award recipients. This award is the highest recognition an organization in Florida can receive for performance excellence. In its 25th year, the Governor’s Sterling Award process is an efficient tool for all organizations that saves Florida businesses millions of dollars annually,”said Florida Sterling Council Chairman John Pieno.

These coveted awards will be bestowed at the 2017 Governor's Sterling Award Banquet at the JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes on Friday, June 2, 2017.

2017 Governor’s Sterling Award Recipients

For 25 years, the Governor's Sterling Award has recognized organizations and businesses in Florida that have successfully achieved performance excellence within their management and operations.

The Florida Department of Health in Bay County is part of the integrated State Department of Health. With 170 full time employees and approximately a $10 million annual budget, it provides critical Public Health services to the County’s 181,635 residents and approximately 300,000 tourists annually. These services include Epidemiology and Disease Control, Diabetes Services Program, Environmental Public Health, Public Health Preparedness and Response, Healthy Start, Women Infants and Children (WIC), Pediatric Dental Services, Immunizations, Vital Statistics’ Records, Public Health Promotion and Services, and HIV/AIDS Medical Management.Services are provided at three primary locations in Panama City, eight WIC locations and throughout the County via the Miles of Smiles Dental Bus and the Mobile Medical Bus. In the immunization program the percent of two-year-old children immunized has increased 21 percentage points, and customer engagements through community outreach has increased from 77 in 2014 to 389 in 2016, exceeding the Florida Department of Healthtarget of 180.The percent of client satisfaction/engagement surveys with satisfactory or better rating has increased from 97 percent in 2013 to 99 percent in 2014 and 2015.External customer satisfaction by program shows 100 percent satisfaction in the Sexual Risk Avoidance, Epidemiology, Healthy Start, Tobacco Prevention, and Vital Statistics programs.The Revenue to Expense Ratio has been sustained at a mean average of 100.96 percent in the last three fiscal years, exceeding peer county health departments.

The Florida Department of Health in Bay County is a first-time recipient of the Governor’s Sterling Award and joins Florida Department of Health recipients in Miami-Dade and St. Johns Counties.

2017 Governor’s Sustained Excellence Award Recipients

Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County, a unit of the Florida Department of Health, is the county health department located in Miami. It provides population/community-based services to the county’s 2.7 million residents and close to 16 million annual visitors. The department’s core competencies include: collaboration and partnerships; public health emergency preparedness; epidemiology, disease control and prevention; public health environmental regulations; and public health promotion and services.

The department has maintained high levels of customer satisfaction, with an overall satisfaction of over 92 percent annually from 2013 through 2016.At 97.2 percent, tuberculosis patients completing therapy within 365 days exceeds the national target of 90 percent.Measures of the performance of health outcomes for infants, children, and expectant mothers show a reduction in low-birthweight infants from 9.1 percent in 2010 to 8.4 percent in 2015, out-performing the state average of 8.6 percent.The Consortium for a Healthier Miami-Dade (The Consortium) consists of over 900 volunteer members representing 161 organizations.This cohesive partnership uses evidence-based practices to improve health outcomes in the community through a focus on healthy behaviors and activities. The number of activities spearheaded by The Consortium increased substantially from 24 in 2011 to 223 in 2015. These activities are directly linked to moving the needle of the health measures/ indicators in the Community Health Improvement Plan.The organization systematically considers societal well-being and benefit as part of its strategy and daily operations. These efforts transcend its mandated duties and take a holistic approach to the health of the community. For example, through its Consortium, the organization’s “Healthy Happens Here” initiative works with over local 175 restaurants to create healthier menu choices for restaurant patrons with a focus on low fat and nutrient dense meals.”

The Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County is the only organization to be recognized as a three-time recipient of the prestigious Governor’s Sterling Award (2012, 2006, and 2002) and two-time recipient of the Governor’s Sustained Excellence Award (2014 and 2017).The Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County is the most recognized Governor’s Sterling Award organization in the state of Florida.

The Florida Department of Health in St. Johns County is part of the integrated State Department of Health. With 66 full time employees and approximately $5 million annual budget, it serves as the Local Chief Health strategist for the community, and provides critical Public Health services to the County’s 235,000+ residents and over 7 million annual visitors. These services include: Population Health – Population-based Disease Prevention, Epidemiology, Environmental Health Services, Emergency Preparedness and Community Resilience, Vaccine Preventable Disease Prevention/Immunizations, Health Protection, and Health Promotion Services; Clinical Services of Public Health Significance – Oral Pediatric Health Care, Communicable Disease Management and Treatment, HIV/AIDS Medical Management and Treatment, Family Planning services, Healthy Start, WIC, and Vital Statistics.Services are primarily provided in a purpose built public health green energy efficient LEEDS compliant building. In 2017, for the 6th consecutive year, St. Johns County has been ranked #1 in the state of Florida in both Health Outcomes and Health Factors by the University of Wisconsin and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s County Health Ranking’s Report. Other significant outcomes include: customer satisfaction rates consistently higher than 98 percent; employee satisfaction rates greater than 91 percent; and consistently top rating for surveillance of and timely responsiveness to potential local public health threats including disaster response and recovery efforts.

The Florida Department of Health in St. Johns County received the Governor’s Sterling Award in 2009, the Governor’s Sterling Sustained Excellence Award in 2011, and the Governor’s Sterling Award again in 2015!

The Orange County Public Schools Operations Division provides essential goods and services to more than 203,000 students and 22,000 employees in 188 schools and 16 facilities located in Orange County, Florida.The Orange County public school system is the tenth largest in the nation and is the fourth largest in Florida.The Operations Division manages the functions of Procurement, Transportation, Food and Nutrition Services, Environmental Compliance, Safety and Emergency Management, Building Code Compliance, and the District Police department.

The Operations Division demonstrates a focus on cost containment through improved efficiency and sustained performance. In 2015, the Food and Nutrition Services Department, using the Procurement Services Department, rebid contracts for commodities purchases and achieved a substantial savings over market costs. The amount of dollar savings achieved through competition rose from $12.2 million in 2012 to $24 million in 2016. Overall bus daily average ride time was reduced from 43 minutes, one way, in 2012 to 28.6 minutes in 2016, exceeding the target of 45 minutes which is based on the Florida Association for Student Transport benchmark.

The Orange County Public Schools Operations Division received the prestigious Governor’s Sterling Award in 2014.The Division is a first-time recipient of the Governor’s Sustained Excellence Award.

About the Governor’s Sterling Award

Established in 1992, the Florida Sterling Council is a public/private not-for-profit corporation supported by the Executive Office of the Governor. The Council oversees the Governor’s Sterling Award for Performance Excellence, presented annually by the Governor to high performing, role-model organizations, both private and public, who demonstrate superior management approaches and role model results. Sterling's Conference teaches participants how to elevate performance and increase productivity. Nearly 600 executives and professionals gather at this event for a one-stop source for education, information and inspiration. The conference concludes with the recognition of best practices, the Team Showcase Champion, and the presentation of the Governor's Sterling Awards, the highest award an organization can receive for performance excellence in Florida. For more information, contact John Pieno at (850) 922-5316 or visit www.floridasterling.com.