The Dakota County Board presented the 2026 Public Health Achievement Awards to three recipients Tuesday, April 7, in celebration of National Public Health Week. The winners are the TriDistrict CAPS Healthcare class, Stacie O’Leary and Mission Outpost at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Burnsville.
The youth award winner is the TriDistrict Center for Advanced Professional Studies (CAPS) Health care class.
The unique program brings together high school juniors and seniors from South St. Paul, Simley and Two Rivers high schools to explore careers in health care.
The program helps students develop empathy, communication skills and community awareness. Through a partnership with River Heights by Vivie, a nursing home in South St. Paul, these students demonstrated how meaningful relationships across generations can strengthen community well-being and create lasting positive impacts.
Stacie O’Leary, the individual award winner, is the health services coordinator and lead school nurse for West St. Paul-Mendota Heights-Eagan Area Schools. She has been instrumental in strengthening districtwide immunization compliance, an essential public health priority that protects not only individual students but the entire community.
Her visionary leadership was spotlighted when she brought the “Warrior Care” school-based health center to Two Rivers High School through a partnership with Riverland Community Health, Dakota County Public Health and the Minnesota School-Based Health Alliance. This center has significantly expanded access to health care, particularly for students who face barriers such as transportation, financial limitations or a lack of a primary care provider.
You can read more by accessing the original article by Adams MultiMedia here.
