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WNC Business

Buncombe County Public Health Receives Health Department of the Year Award

Oct 01, 2025 04:12PM ● By WNC Business

Buncombe County Health and Human Services has received the Dr. Sarah Taylor Morrow Health Department of the Year award in the large county category. The North Carolina Public Health Association (NCPHA) grants this award to health departments that show outstanding programs and efforts.  

Over the past year, the Buncombe County Health Department displayed exceptional emergency response, comprehensive community support, and staff resilience and dedication. 

In the first five weeks of Tropical Storm Helene, Public Health staff logged over 1,500 hours of overtime, showcasing their unwavering commitment to public service. Along with other departments, public health played a crucial role in coordinating and managing shelters and Community Care Stations (CCSs) and providing essential support and resources to those in need.  

Their efforts included: 

  • Operating five shelters offering a total of 685 beds. 

  • Opening eight CCSs that provided access to potable and non-potable water, Meals Ready to Eat (MREs), showers, laundry facilities, hot meals, and physical and mental health care.  

  • The Mobile Team deployed resources to shelters and CCSs, administering 1,219 vaccines and connecting residents to vital services, helping to prevent disease outbreaks during a vulnerable time.  


Staff also worked hard to ensure residents and businesses were able to prioritize hygiene and disease prevention throughout the water crisis and addressed concerns about damaged wells and septic systems. 

  • Staff evaluated 949 Emergency Operations Plans (EOP) for food service establishments, tattoo shops, pools, childcares, and lodging within a three-week timeframe.  

  • Onsite wastewater environmental health teams processed 89 well repair applications, 293 new well applications, 132 septic damage assessments, and 1,544 water samples.  


Eight months after the storm, public health staff also worked with local and state partners to conduct a Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER) survey of 210 randomly selected households to understand public health impacts and ongoing health needs from Tropical Storm Helene. 

“The response and recovery efforts following Tropical Storm Helene have been a united effort from Buncombe County. I am pleased to announce that our Public Health Team has been recognized by public health colleagues across the state for their commitment to safeguarding the health of our community over the past year,” said Dr. Ellis Matheson, Buncombe County Public Health Director. “This award serves as a small token of gratitude for our incredible public health staff and their dedication to promoting and protecting the health of Buncombe County every single day."   

Source: Buncombe County Public Information Office. 
Awards & Recognitions, Government/Nonprofit
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