Morgan Bennett Receives Professional Nursing Award

Morgan Bennett, Nurse

Morgan Bennett was presented with the New Public Health Nurse of the Year Award recently. The following is information submitted by Tammi Clark, Executive Director of the Prowers County Public Health Department.

“From the moment that Morgan Bennett joined the Public Health team, she became a champion in the community. Morgan has become the Public Health Nurse that is recognized in the community and she exemplifies the mission of public health with her passion for prevention, promotion and protection.

Some of her successes include:

Girls in the Middle: As a coach she trained,, motivated and worked side by side with fourteen 3-6 grade girls to develop positive behavior, teamwork and the ultimate goal to run a 5K.

Playground to Prom and the CHARGE Project: As the program leader to provide comprehensive sexual health education to area schools and the community and provide tools for parents to become ask-able adults (as identified as a priority in our public health improvement plan.)

Another piece of our PHIP and area that Morgan was passionate about is to offer free pregnancy tests condoms, female condoms and dental dams to any community member that has a need. Morgan was also instrumental in the development of our new HIV/Hep C screen program.  We have partnered with Children’s Hospital for testing every other week in our office.  The program was off to a slow start, but testing is increasing and the message is now in our community.

Morgan has been certified as a Substance Abuse Prevention Skills trainer and facilitates our local SATF monthly meetings. Morgan is mindful about the prevention efforts to reduce harm and protect our community.  She is a valued member of the task force team and is working diligently to develop a syringe exchange access point in Prowers County.

HOPE Center, One Step Up Group, an after school program for positive youth development, where she works with students to identify needs in the community that will create a heathier community.

Morgan has also taken on the daunting task of rewriting our police and procedure manual, something that has not been done since 2009. Some other community support programs that Morgan is involved with include:  Family Fun Days, National Night Out, Community College block party and Healthy Places.  All these programs are in addition to her duty as a Public Health Nurse Generalist/School Nurse, which along carries a large responsibility, but Morgan Bennett believes in her work and the community.”