Innovative public service programs, many of them aimed at addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, earned San Bernardino County a record 60 National Association of Counties 2021 Achievement Awards, the most awards won since 2019 when the County claimed 52 NACo awards.
A majority of the NACo Achievement Awards recognized programs and resources that helped our residents during the global COVID-19 pandemic and vaccination effort, including the #SBCountyTogether bilingual public information and outreach campaign, the COVID-Compliant Business Partnership Program, the COVID-19 data dashboard, the nursing home task force, and our alternative care sites.
The County Public Health Department and its staff, who were on the front lines of the battle against COVID-19, won 14 2021 NACo Awards, the most of any County department. The Public Health data team developed and maintain the COVID-19 data dashboard, which shows daily information on COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, deaths, the status of the virus in the county’s cities and towns and schools along with testing and vaccination metrics.
Two County departments, the Economic Development Department and the Innovation and Technology Department won awards for the COVID-Compliant Business Partnership Program, which provided $30 million in CARES Act funding to help local businesses and nonprofits comply with COVID-19 health orders to keep their employees and customers safe.
“I am extremely proud of our County staff for being creative and using technology to get our residents and businesses through these past 15 months,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Curt Hagman. “County staff worked long hours through a lot of uncertainty to try to get ahead of the virus and keep us all safe. I am pleased to see the great work they do each and every day recognized on the national stage.”
Since 2010, San Bernardino County has won 441 Achievement Awards from NACo, an organization that honors innovative, effective county government programs that enhance services for residents.
Nationally, NACo Achievement Awards are given in 18 different categories that reflect the variety of services counties provide. San Bernardino County won awards in 14 categories. This year, NACo reviewed 884 entries from counties in 28 states.
The Board of Supervisors will recognize and honor the people and departments responsible for the winning programs and services below at an upcoming event. The County’s winners are:
CATEGORY: Arts, Culture and Historic Preservation
County Museum – Arthropolooza – the Ultimate Bugfest
County Museum – Developing Ethnobotany: Creative Collaboration and Indigenous Stories
County Museum – Museum Programs Gone Virtual
County Museum – Spooktacular: Demystifying Science for our County Families
Public Works – Desert View Recreational Trails
CATEGORY: Children and Youth
Children and Family Services – Children and Family Services Electronic Warrants Process
Children and Family Services – Enhancing Educational Attainment Among Foster Youth through Collaboration
Children and Family Services – Helping Our Population by Empowerment
Children and Family Services – Special Collaboration with Marine Bases to Keep Children Safe
CATEGORY: Civic Education and Public Information
County Administrative Office, Arrowhead Regional Medical Center and Behavioral Health- #SBCountyTogether Communication Program
CATEGORY: Community and Economic Development
Economic Development and County Administrative Office – COVID Compliant Business Partnership Program
Economic Development – San Bernardino County Film Office (FilmSBC)
Economic Development – San Bernardino County Opportunity Zone Program
Purchasing – San Bernardino County Online COVID-19 Store
Purchasing – Surplus Distribution Hub
Workforce Development – Virtual Career Fair
Workforce Development – Virtual Hiring Event
Workforce Development – Virtual Rapid Response
CATEGORY: County Administration and Management
Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector – Payroll Electronic Document System (PEDS)
Fleet Management – Vehicle COVID-19 Sanitizing Procedure
CATEGORY: Criminal Justice and Public Safety
County Fire – San Bernardino County Illegal Fireworks Reporter
District Attorney – Digital Victim Advocate Program
Public Defender – New Hope/Abundant Living Church
Sheriff – Parental Intervention Project
CATEGORY: Financial Management
Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector – Process Server Checks Project
CATEGORY: Health
Arrowhead Regional Medical Center – Arrowhead Regional Medical Center Charts Pandemic Response Path for Local Hospitals
Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, Inland Counties Emergency Medical Agency (ICEMA), County Administrative Office, Public Health, Behavioral Health and Aging and Adult Services – Caring for Our Most Vulnerable – Bold Actions in Midst of Pandemic
Behavioral Health – Care Coordination
Behavioral Health – Consumer Evaluation Council
Public Health – Inland Empire Black Breastfeeding Week 2020
Public Health – Reducing Health Inequity and Hunger Among Veterans During COVID and Beyond
Inland Counties Emergency Medical Agency (ICEMA), Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, County Fire, County Administrative Office – Alternative Care Sites
CATEGORY: Human Services
Aging and Adult Services and Behavioral Health – Age Wise’s 24/7 Hotline Expands Seniors’ Access to Vital Services
Aging and Adult Services – Reducing Homelessness through the At-Home Program
Aging and Adult Services – Successful Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) Implementation Methods
Preschool Services, Public Health and Aging and Behavioral Health – Distance Learning Program
Transitional Assistance, Workforce Development and Public Health – CalFresh Employment and Training COVID-19 Response
Transitional Assistance, Public Health and Aging and Adult Services – TAD/DAAS-PG CalFresh Targeted Outreach to Seniors and Disabled Persons
Transitional Assistance and Public Health – Housing Services Assistance Agreement
CATEGORY: Information Technology
Assessor-Recorder-Clerk – ARC Online Modernization of Services Program
Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector, Arrowhead Regional Medical Center and Purchasing – Arrowhead Regional Medical Center SAP Inventory Management Module (ARMC | SAP IMM)
Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector – Robotic Process Automation
Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector – Tax Collector Kiosk Project
Public Health – CAIR / QIE Bidirectional Interface
Public Health – Cisco Call Center Systems
Public Health – COVID-19 Operation Dashboard and Hub Pages
Public Health – Education and Engagement Indicator
Public Health – Internship and Volunteer Program
Public Health – Remote Customer Service
Public Health – VSRO Birth & Death Certificate Automation
Innovation and Technology – Election Virtual Dashboard and Command Center
Innovation and Technology, Economic Development, and County Administrative Office – Utilizing GIS Technology for COVID Compliant Business Partnership Program
Inland Counties Emergency Medical Agency (ICEMA) – Resource Management Program
Registrar of Voters and Innovation and Technology – Online Candidate Filing Program
CATEGORY: Libraries
County Library – Converting Programs to Meet the Need
County Library – Instant Digital Library Card
CATEGORY: Parks and Recreation
Public Works – Big Bear Alpine Zoo
CATEGORY: Personnel Management, Employment and Training
Behavioral Health – Transparency Through Talk Project
CATEGORY: Risk and Emergency Management
Purchasing – Emergency Purchase Orders (POs)
Inland Counties Emergency Medical Agency (ICEMA) and County Fire – Incident Management Team
Dear San Bernardino County!
I have had the great fortune to work with the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health since August 2020 as a Contact Tracing Supervisor. I have witnessed first hand the tireless commitment of your staff to the residents you serve. I remember first seeing the COVID-19 dashboard and being very impressed as it other counties dashboards pale in comparison to the counties state of art resource!
I would like to thank the Department of Public Health for welcoming the state redirect workforce with open arms and providing so many resources to us supervisors and our teams-from weekly meetings to chatter groups, workflows and resource documents.
Thank you for all you do and have done during the Pandemic to serve your residents and communities. My team and I are very proud to have been a small part of your gigantic effort. Congratulations on the awards you received! Best,
Trisha