North Carolina dentist among those honored by GlaxoSmithKline
GlaxoSmithKline has recognized seven health departments and individuals for their outstanding contributions to improving the health and well-being of North Carolina's children.
The eighth annual North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Child Health Recognition Awards were presented in a ceremony following the North Carolina Public Health Association meeting. The awards recognize excellence and innovation in child health care by public health departments, public health staff, and individual child advocates.
"We feel it is important to celebrate the accomplishments made possible by commitment and personal effort on the part of the public health workers who have been nominated," said Robert A. Ingram, Chief Operating Officer and President, Pharmaceutical Operations of GlaxoSmithKline. "By highlighting their efforts we hope to encourage others to apply the same kind of innovative thinking in their own communities."
Included among the winners of the 2001 GlaxoSmithKline Child Health Recognition Awards was Dr. Joseph D. Gatewood, DDS, PA. Dr. Gatewood provides dental care in Orange and Person Counties. He regularly visits schools to give dental screenings. In 1998, Dr. Gatewood helped open the first dental clinic for children in the Person County Health Department, and since 1999 the health department has had a stand-alone clinic that serves children every day. Before his services became available, many local children had to do without care because other local dentists do not accept Medicaid payments for dental treatments.
GlaxoSmithKline created the awards program in 1994 to encourage the development of creative, effective approaches in the field of public health. The awards began in North Carolina and expanded to Georgia in 1998. The program has grown to showcase successful programs that address a wide variety of children's health issues.
The health department and public health staff awards carry monetary grants to use for special projects, staff development, and educational materials. Scholarship awards also are made to the North Carolina Public Health Association in the name of the Individual Recognition award recipients.
Keynote speaker at the ceremony was Mark L. Rosenberg, MD, Executive Director of the Task Force for Child Survival and Development in Atlanta. Stephen Keener, MD, incoming president of the North Carolina Public Health Association, hosted the ceremony.
GlaxoSmithKline -- one of the world's leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies -- is committed to improving the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer.
