top of page
Search

Call for Nominations: Community Health Champions

  • npurdy4
  • 1 hour ago
  • 2 min read

Healthy Franklin County is now accepting nominations for its Community Health Champion Awards, which will be announced at the Franklin County Health Summit on October 14, 2025, at Wilson College.


These awards are presented every three years to align with the public release of the Community Health Needs Assessment, conducted by WellSpan Health. The inaugural awards were presented in 2022 to honor individuals and organizations making a lasting impact on community health in Franklin County.


Community health addresses the social drivers of health—non-medical factors such as education, healthcare access, economic stability, neighborhood and built environment, and the social context of individuals living and working in Franklin County. Many individuals and organizations are doing extraordinary work to improve these conditions.


Community Health Champions are those making a positive difference in the places where we live, learn, work, and play. Their passion is rooted in making our community better for everyone. This year, we invite you to help us recognize those who have gone above and beyond to create a collective impact in our region.

2022 Community Health Champion Recipients: First Start Partnerships (Organizational Award accepted by Annette Searfoss); Sheldon "Shelly" Schwartz (Lifetime Achievement Award) and Sonja Payne (Outstanding Young Professional Award accepted Dr. Liz Fisher on behalf of Sonja Payne).
2022 Community Health Champion Recipients: First Start Partnerships (Organizational Award accepted by Annette Searfoss); Sheldon "Shelly" Schwartz (Lifetime Achievement Award) and Sonja Payne (Outstanding Young Professional Award accepted Dr. Liz Fisher on behalf of Sonja Payne).

Award Categories

Healthy Franklin County will recognize three Community Health Champions in the following categories:


  1. Community Health Champion – Organizational Award

    For organizations with fewer than 100 employees.

    Note: Large healthcare organizations such as Keystone Health and WellSpan Health are not eligible for this category. However, individual employees from these organizations may be nominated in the individual categories below.


  2. Outstanding Young Professional Award

    For an individual under the age of 40 who is making a significant contribution to community health.


  3. Lifetime Achievement Award

    For an individual who has dedicated their entire career to improving the health and well-being of Franklin County residents.


Inaugural Award Recipients (2022)

  • Lifetime Achievement Award: Sheldon “Shelly” Schwartz, volunteer, community advocate, and ombudsman for the Franklin County Area Agency on Aging

  • Outstanding Young Professional Award: Sonja Payne, MSW, Community Health Mobilizer with the Shippensburg Community Resource Coalition

  • Organizational Award: First Start Partnerships (formerly Franklin County Head Start)


Nomination Criteria

In your submission, please address the following:

  • How does this person or organization make a difference by working in partnership with others to positively impact the community?

  • How do they promote equity in access to services, resources, and supports—regardless of age, income, or socio-economic background?

  • How do they support groups within the community to improve overall health (social, physical, and mental) and/or welfare?

  • Have they demonstrated efforts to reduce social inequalities in local communities?

  • How do they represent a positive image of community health?


Submission Details

Please submit your nomination(s) by October 3, 2025, using the following form:🔗 Submit a Nomination


If you have any questions, contact Noel Purdy at npurdy@wellspan.org.


 
 
 
bottom of page