MARIANA PADLEY RECOGNIZED AS 2012 OUTSTANDING PUBLIC HEALTH LEADER

(Salisbury, MD.) Mrs. Mariana Padley was recognized as the 2012 Outstanding Public Health Leader for Wicomico County at a ceremony held April 2, 2012 at Salisbury University. The award ceremony was held in recognition of National Public Health Week, April 2-8, 2012.

As a medically certified interpreter, Mariana spends countless hours with Spanish speaking patients, providing support and advocating for their needs, whether those needs are spoken or unspoken. She has been instrumental in securing primary medical care for patients who don’t know how to navigate the healthcare system. She has been known to stay with patients while in the Emergency Department and to visit them after admission, providing interpretation as needed. She has worked with the Wicomico County Board of Education and the Infants and Toddlers program to provide access to rehabilitative and medical services to clients with disabilities. When she discovered a need to help Spanish speaking clients through the judicial system, Mariana became a certified judicial court interpreter on her own time and at her own expense.

Mrs. Padley has worked with other community leaders to develop needed programs and services through partnerships with Catholic Services, Salisbury University and others. These new programs have resulted in better health habits, better health status and better use of our medical system and providers.

Mrs. Padley is to be commended for her tireless efforts to improve the health of Wicomico County residents and for her accomplishment on being recognized as Wicomico County's 2012 Outstanding Public Health Leader.

Wicomico County Health Department also recognized their 2012 Employee of the Year, Melba Malpass, a Resource Coordinator for the agency’s Developmental Disabilities Program.