SUPERIOR – A local nurse with the Mineral County Health Department was recently awarded special recognition for her devotion to serving the health care needs of the people of Mineral County.

Jennifer Donovan has only been with the department for three years but has already made an impact on those she serves and those she works with at the MCHD. She has been helping those in need in the area since she came to Superior in 2011.

Because of her contributions in the field of health care in Mineral County, Donovan received the Marlene Stellmon Award which is given by the Montana Public Health Association to early-career public health care workers who have made a difference in their communities.

The award was first given out in 1997 and is named after a public health nurse with the Montana Department of Public Health who had a reputation of supporting new public health workers. Donovan said she was humbled to have received the recognition.

“I’m really honored,” Donovan said. “I was pretty surprised when the nominated me and again when I was chosen. This is a state wide thing so it means a lot to me. I really do love public health (care). I really like being able to form a relationship with people and public health gives me that opportunity.”

Donovan said one thing she enjoys about working in a smaller facility is the close professional relationships she has been able to foster with those she works with.

She said the team she works among is one reason she is able to be so effective at her job.

“We are an amazing team of co-workers,” Donovan said. “We are there for each other professionally and personally. We don’t have a large staff so we really depend on each other. There is a tremendous amount of support here.”

According to a letter of support for Donovan’s nomination for the award written by one of her co-workers, one of the main reasons she thought Donovan deserved the recognition was because of her work with a specific program. April Quinlan with the MCHD, said Donovan’s work on behalf of the Parents as Teachers program made her stand out.

“She goes above and beyond to serve her community,” Quinlan said in the letter. “In the last three years, Jennifer has worked diligently as a Parent Educator to promote the Parents as Teachers Program in Mineral County.

She has reached out to many parents and made it possible for them to attain information that is helpful to their overall health and well being as a family.”

According to their website, the Parents as Teachers Program is a nation wide initiative to educate and support parents to help their children develop in their early years.

The program began in Missouri in the 1970s when educators began to notice children were beginning kindergarten with widely varying degrees of school readiness.

Donovan said she embraced the program to help ensure local children starting school would be on approximately the same page with their peers which would increase the likelihood of their educational success.

One of Donovan’s co-workers said she was inspired by her devotion to her job and her hard work ethic.

Donovan’s assistant and registered nurse, Ryanne Burklund, said the opportunity to learn from her was a positive way to start her own career in health care.

“I couldn’t ask for a better role model,” Burklund said. “This is my first job out of school and it’s been amazing working for Jen. She is someone I really look up to.”

The Marlene Stellmon Award will be presented to Donovan at the MPHA Annual Meeting on Sept. 30.