Ms. Dingfelder, a Wallingford resident, works as a nurse consultant in the DPH Local Health Administration Branch, which serves as the primary interface between the department and Connecticut’s local health departments. She was selected by her peers as the DPH nominee for the state Nurse of the Year Award, and was named State of Connecticut Nurse of the Year in the administrator category today at a ceremony at the State Capitol.

“State of Connecticut nurses serve Connecticut residents in many different ways, but all with caring, passion and a strong commitment to the health of Connecticut residents,” stated Governor M. Jodi Rell. “Barbara was selected this year as a shining example of the fine caliber of the state’s nurses, and the exceptional service they provide to the people of Connecticut.” “Barbara is a leader in public health nursing, and we are very proud of her outstanding achievement as Nurse of the Year,” stated DPH Commissioner J. Robert Galvin, M.D., M.P.H. “Barbara has been instrumental in standardizing training to local boards of health, and has taken a leadership role in creating the DPH virtual Office of Public Health Nursing. She also advocates for people with special needs through her work on the Universal Sheltering Committee, which is working on a plan to assist residents in a natural or manmade disaster.”
 

Ms. Dingfelder joined DPH in 2002, and has worked in the department’s Breast and Cervical Cancer and Early Detection program as well as the Local Health Administration Branch. She also played an instrumental role in the department’s response to the 2004 influenza vaccine shortage as an ombudsman, providing timely and important information about the vaccine supply situation to the public and health care community.

Ms. Dingfelder is a Board Certified Clinical Nurse Specialist in Public Health/Community Health Nursing with broad experience in several fields of nursing, including rehabilitation, home health, ambulatory surgery, and others. She is also a certified Health Education Specialist. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing from the University of Phoenix, and a Masters of Public Health degree from the Southern Connecticut State University.

Each year during National Nurses Week, a nurse employed by the State of Connecticut is recognized for providing outstanding service to their customers in the following areas:

• Initiative – anticipating and responding to customer’s needs
• Advocacy – exhibiting creativity and persistence when dealing with customer’s needs and desires
• Team Support – taking risks in suggesting and implementing new teams ideas
• Application of Nursing Theory – based on current nursing standards of practice
• Going beyond the call of duty – demonstrates a willingness to “go the extra mile” in the performance of their duties

Award finalists were selected based on nominations submitted by co-workers, supervisors, and patients. The judging committee was made up of leaders in the Connecticut nursing field including Polly Barey, Executive Director Connecticut Nurses Association, Rose Clark of Norwich Town Rehabilitation and Care Center as well as Lucia Catalano, President of Medoptions. The State of Connecticut Department of Administrative Services oversees the awards program.

DPH employs dozens of public health nurses who perform a variety services for the people of Connecticut including regulating health care facilities and administering community-based programs. DPH recently launched a new Office of Public Health Nursing, which works to promote the public health nursing profession.

Traditionally, National Nurses Week is devoted to highlighting the diverse ways in which registered nurses, the largest health care profession, are working to improve health care. From bedside nursing in hospitals and long term care facilities to the halls of research institutions, state legislatures, and Congress, the depth and breadth of the nursing profession is meeting the expanding health care needs of American society.

The Connecticut Department of Public Health is the state’s leader in public health policy and advocacy with a mission to protect and promote the health and safety of the people of our state.

To contact the department, please visit its website at www.dph.state.ct.us or call (860) 509-7270.
 

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