PHNAC Awards Committee
Rita Beam
Stephanie Stark
Carol McDonald
New Public Health Nurse of the Year
Awarded to a public health nurse with less than five years practice serving in a public health capacity who has demonstrated the ability to establish community partnerships that resulted in improved utilization of public health programs and/or services.
The recipient of this award is…
Angela Montgomery
Tri-County Health Department
Angela Montgomery started her public health nursing career May, 2008 as a nurse home visitor in the Mother’s First program at TCHD. The Mothers First Program is a home visit program for families that live in Arapahoe County. The nurses visit in the home to help families with parenting or health questions, finding resources to reach employment /financial goals, have a healthy pregnancy, improve the health of their children and to find community resources.
Angela assumed her role with passion, creativity and demonstrated leadership within a year. This program encounter a change in leadership the next year as their supervisor was promoted to a nursing division position. This was a relatively new program and newly formed nursing team. In addition, the county was requesting an expansion contract for families involved in the social welfare system. It was a difficult time for the team and the program. Angela inquired about assuming the supervisor role and was concerned due to her lack of experience in general public health nursing. However, she was already enrolled in a Nursing graduate leadership program at Regis University, volunteered on the Emergency Preparedness (ET) at TCHD, assumed numerous special projects such as representing her team on a perinatal assessment project, developing a domestic violence policy, PHN competency development, and career ladder development, just to name a few of her extra projects. She was promoted to the supervisor position in 2009 and has not only developed a strong team but developed a new program that is funded by social services that supports families who have a case that is being closed and needs extra support. That program has been very success. In addition, she was asked to develop another program component to address unintended pregnancy. As a part of that program she has now gained entrance to the Arapahoe County jail and provides classes on STI and birth control to incarcerated men and women who would otherwise receive no prevention education prior to being released. She is one of the only nurses that have been able to partner with Arapahoe County jail and this could become a model practice.
She is a hands-on supervisor and continues to carry a small caseload so that she does not lose site of the challenges her nurses face in practice. She has been known to carry a full caseload for her team and another team while nurses are out on pregnancy and leaves for surgery. Angela graduated from her master’s program and completed the Colorado Center for Nursing Excellence leadership training. She also precepts many nursing students throughout the year. In addition, she is a community volunteer with Big Sister and participates in the MS 150 annually. She is a bright and passionate new public health nurse who will continue to be a leader in nursing, public health and her community.
