NETPHD Executive Wins Emerson Award

TYLER – The Northeast Texas Public Health District (NETPHD) announces that Harold Higgins, Senior Deputy Director, received the 2010 Janet Emerson Public Health Servant Award at a dinner Wednesday evening in Austin. This award is the Texas Association of Local Health Officials’ (TALHO) highest accolade for demonstrated extraordinary performance with an exemplary commitment to local public health. Health officials say the Emerson award is a means of expressing gratitude, recognition and encouragement of professional accomplishment in public health at the local level. As nominator and NETPHD CEO George Roberts noted, “Harold’s steady ‘can do’ spirit and willingness to work with many people and many different organizations has enabled NETPHD to grow, sustain and be recognized as experts in public health.”

Higgins serves as the Senior Deputy Director of Public Health Preparedness, Immunization and Tuberculosis Control Departments at NETPHD. Local health officials say Higgins has contributed outstanding service and dedication to protect and promote the health of the community for more than 30 years. During his public health career, Higgins has worked at the state, regional and local levels. In 2009, the Immunization Department, in which he serves as Director, had a record year by giving almost 17,000 immunizations in Smith County, as well as leading the vaccination of over 20,000 area citizens with the H1N1 vaccine.

Officials say due to Higgins’s actions, NETPHD received a Model Practice Award from the National Association of City and County Health Officials (NACCHO) for establishing a partnership with UT Tyler for Medical Special Needs Sheltering. He was also deemed instrumental in the sheltering of thousands of special needs evacuees during Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav and Ike. “Mr. Higgins has been a rock solid, reliable public health worker for over three decades now, and I am sure Mr. Higgins will continue to make great contributions in the field of public health for years to come,” says Dr. Paul McGaha, Regional Director, Texas Department of State Health Services.