Riverside County Exec Wins Award For Public Health Work

Barbara Cole, the Disease Control Chief at the Riverside University Health System – Public Health, has been awarded the prestigious Sedgwick Memorial Medal for Distinguished Service in Public Health.

The award comes from the American Public Health Association . 

The Sedgwick Memorial Medal for Distinguished Service in Public Health is the oldest and most prestigious award that APHA bestows, and only one person in the nation wins the award each year.

Cole is in Minneapolis this week accepting the honor for her excellence in public health leadership and innovation.

 Cole was recognized for her holistic approach to disease control, which includes targeted treatment and helping affected families get the resources they need to financially survive long-term infections such as tuberculosis (TB).  

She has played a key role in addressing recent public health threats in Riverside County, including SARS, H1N1,   Ebola,  COVID-19, and H5N1. Cole has also worked on TB infection control in correctional facilities and TB outbreaks on the U.S. – Mexico border as Chair of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Council for the Elimination of Tuberculosis. 

Barbara Cole, the Disease Control Chief at the Riverside University Health System – Public Health, has been awarded the prestigious Sedgwick Memorial Medal for Distinguished Service in Public Health.

Photo from Riverside University Health System Moreno Valley CA Oct 30th 2024