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2026 North Country Community Health Hero Awards Honor
Three Dedicated North Country Professionals
Published: October 14, 2026
at 05:15 p.m.
By: Press Release from Fort Drum Regional Health
Planning Organization
 
2026 North
Country Community Health Hero Awards Honor Dedicated North Country
Professionals
Individuals from Jefferson, Lewis, and
St. Lawrence counties to be honored at Community Health Hero Award luncheon
Watertown, NY,
October 13, 2026 –Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization
(FDRHPO) and North Country Health Compass Partners are pleased to announce
the 2026 Community Health Hero Award recipients.
One Health Hero
was chosen in each of Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties who have
exhibited a deep sense of dedication, compassion, and selflessness in their
efforts to address health-related issues and challenges that affect our
local communities. Their contributions have led to positive and lasting
impacts on the health of those they serve.
The 2026
recipients of the Community Health Hero Award are:
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Jefferson
County
Eric Anderson
(Retired)
Operations Coordinator
Henderson Fire
Department, Inc., and Ambulance Squad
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Lewis County
Marcia Ashline
Supervising Public Health Nurse
Lewis County Public Health
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St. Lawrence County
Melissa Planty
Community Health Worker
Northern Regional Center for Independent Living
(NRCIL)
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Presented in
honor of National Rural Health Day (November 19, 2026), the
Community Health Hero Award recognizes North Country residents who
demonstrate exceptional public service and a commitment to improving
community health and wellness. Community members submitted nominations, and
the North Country Health Compass partners selected the recipients.
“Each year,
Health Hero nominations highlight the extraordinary people making a
difference in our communities. We are honored to recognize this year’s
exceptionally dedicated, compassionate, and inspiring awardees,” said Pat
Fontana, Deputy Director for FDRHPO.
This year’s guest
speaker will be Richard Merchant, CEO for four nonprofit organizations:
Northern Area Health Education Center in Canton, Central New York Area
Health Education Center in Syracuse, Brooklyn Queens Long Island Area
Health Education Center in Brooklyn, New York, and Health WorkForce New York with its administrative offices in
Canton.
An awards
luncheon will be held on November 18 at the Hilton Garden Inn
Watertown/1000 Islands from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tickets to attend the
luncheon are $20, and registration is required. This event is open to the
public.
To register for
the event, visit https://shorturl.at/lQIuO.
For more about
National Rural Health Day, visit https://nosorh.org/nrhd/.
For more
information about the 2026 North Country Community Health Hero Awards,
contact Holly Boname, Communications Coordinator at FDRHPO, by emailing hboname@fdrhpo.org.
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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.
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