Emergency Management Director Bob MacKenzie
Recognized as Lewis County’s 2022 Community Health Hero at FDRHPO’s Annual
Luncheon
Published: November 07, 2022
at 01:30 p.m.
By: Press Release from Fort Drum Regional Health
Planning Organization
THREE NORTH COUNTRY RESIDENTS HONORED AT ‘HEALTH
HERO’ LUNCHEON
Individuals from Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence
counties receive 2022 Community Health Hero Award, given by Fort Drum
Regional Health Planning Organization (FDRHPO) and North Country Health
Compass partners.
Watertown, NY,
November 7, 2022 –Fort Drum Regional Health Planning
Organization (FDRHPO) and North Country Health Compass Partners are pleased
to introduce the recipients of the 2022 “Community Health Hero” Award.
One Health Hero
was chosen in each of Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties, and all
three were honored Monday afternoon during an award luncheon at the Hilton
Garden Inn, Watertown/1000 Islands. The 2022 Community Health Heroes are:
- Jefferson County – Anthony Coles, MSW, Crisis Outreach Worker, Crisis Response of
Jefferson County/Jefferson County Children’s Home
- Lewis County – Robert Mackenzie III, AEMT-P, Director of Fire & Emergency
Management, Lewis County
- St. Lawrence County – James
“Jay” Moore, RN, Emergency
Department Nurse Manager, Gouverneur Hospital
“There are many
unsung heroes living and working in the North Country, especially when we
look at the health and wellness sector,” explained Erika Flint, FDRHPO
Executive Director. “The goal of the Community Health Hero Award is to give
these hard-working, selfless individuals some well-deserved recognition,
and there is no doubt that we have found three true heroes this year. Our
community should be very proud to have Anthony, Bob, and Jay among us.”
The Community
Health Hero Award – given in honor of National Rural Health Day (November
17, 2022) – recognizes North Country residents who have demonstrated
outstanding public service and a commitment to improving the health and
wellness of their community. Nominations were accepted from the
community-at- large, and winners were selected by members of the North
Country Health Compass Partners.
At the luncheon,
each Health Hero was presented with a plaque after being congratulated by
their peers and keynote speaker Patricia Minter-Powell – a French teacher
at Immaculate Heart Central (IHC), involved in its Community Service
Program and Rotary Interact Club. She also serves on the Advisory Council
of Girls Education Collaborative, which, together with partners like IHC,
supports educational opportunities for young women in rural communities in
East Africa.
“A hero embodies
the virtues of courage, sacrifice, endurance, and integrity,” stated Pat
Fontana, FDRHPO Deputy Director and emcee of Monday’s event. “Heroes make
ongoing sacrifices, putting the needs of others ahead of their own. Rural
healthcare has some unique challenges, but because of heroes like this, our
communities are able to rise above those
challenges and help the people who live here to do the same. This year’s
heroes selflessly dedicate their time, talent, and compassion to caring for
the health and well-being of North Country residents.”
Here is some
background on each of the recipients:
Anthony Coles, MSW
As a Crisis Outreach Worker, Anthony goes above and beyond his job
description for the greater good of our community. In his everyday job,
Anthony responds to individual crisis calls made to our 24/7 hotline. He
makes himself available and follows up with each
individual, post crisis, to ensure their continued well-being and
triage into continued services as needed. Anthony works closely with each
client to help them address barriers and navigate their path to wellness.
He volunteers his time offering transportation services, as requested, to
ensure community members have access to needed services. On or off the
clock, he assists individuals in their pursuit of housing, food, and other
fundamental resources, and spends much of his remaining time volunteering
at community events, leading coping skills workshops, participating in the
Jefferson County Suicide Prevention Coalition, and the VA Suicide
Coalition.
His compassion for others and generous efforts have made a substantial
impact on many lives throughout the county. Wherever he is, at any moment,
there always seems to be an individual whose life was made better through
Anthony’s efforts. He never backs down from a challenge or misses an
opportunity to help his community. (From Anthony's nomination by
Diane Zikowitz, Manager of Community-Based
Services, Children's Home of Jefferson County.)
Bob Mackenzie
III, AEMT-P
After 20+ years in the trucking industry (13 as Safety and Maintenance
Director), Bob Mackenzie changed careers to become a paramedic. He gained
experience as a volunteer EMT through the fire service, and in 2012, became
Lewis County’s EMS Coordinator and then in 2014 became Director of Fire and
Emergency Management. Bob is seen at or involved in most every call that
comes across the entire county … day or night. He is always available to
help in any capacity within his many areas of expertise, including fire
chief, fireman, paramedic, or teacher. His calm and resolute demeanor lead
the way through many calls. Bob is a CPR instructor, Department of Homeland
Security Intelligence Liaison Officer, Amish subject-matter expert, and
provides those courses to other volunteer organizations on his own “free
time” while continuing to train the fire service and local representatives.
Simply put, he is a competent, knowledgeable, generous, kind, and patient
individual who is an inspiration to his coworkers and fellow
volunteers. (From Bob's nomination by Jessica Skiff, Human
Resources Director at Lewis County Health System.)
James "Jay" Moore, RN
Jay is an outstanding individual who continues to be involved in community
service, demonstrating a sustained commitment to the St. Lawrence County
community. As the Emergency Department Nurse Manager at Gouverneur
Hospital, Jay oversees a department that treats approximately 7,500
patients per year. His efforts significantly contributed to
Gouverneur Hospital's #1 ranking in New York State, and #43 ranking in the
US for social responsibility. Stakeholders and leaders across the St.
Lawrence Health System continually benefit from Jay’s “system-ness.” He is
a dynamic leader who shares best practices and encourages other leaders
across county hospitals to strive for excellence.
As the Fire Chief of Morristown’s Volunteer Fire and Rescue Co., Jay is the
Chief Executive Officer of the Fire Department, appointed by and
responsible for the effective, efficient, and legal conduct of the fire
department and its membership. As a Nurse Manager, Fire Chief, and
Community Leader, Jay embodies the three core competencies that speak to
the qualifications of this community award: quality, safety, and enhanced
quality of life. He does so while consistently promoting a culture of
diversity, respect, equity, and inclusion. (From Jay's nomination
by Jeremy Slaga, former President, Gouverneur
Hospital.)
For more about National Rural Health Day, visit https://nosorh.org/calendar-events/nrhd/.
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About the Fort
Drum Regional Health Planning Organization
FDRHPO works to
strengthen the system for health for the integrated Fort Drum and
civilian community through analysis, identification of needs and leveraging
of resources to fill gaps through innovation and collaboration. For more
about FDRHPO, visit www.fdrhpo.org.
About the North
Country Health Compass Partners
The North Country
Health Compass Partners is a collaborative of local hospitals, public
health agencies, behavioral healthcare providers, prevention councils, and
community-based organizations that meets monthly to discuss and review the
community’s population health priorities. It also serves as the steering
committee for ncnyhealthcompass.org, a regional health data website,
maintained by FDRHPO, that contains interactive charts, graphs, and dashboards
for all the region’s population health priority areas.
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