• By Todd Luck
• Posted Thursday, May 25, 2023

Three Forsyth County programs receive national awards

Three Forsyth County initiatives have been recognized by The National Association of Counties (NACo) 2023 Achievement Awards for innovation in county government.

Forsyth CARES was recognized in the Intergovernmental Cooperation category. The online service lets Forsyth County residents provide information on themselves or a loved one at forsyth.cc/forsythcares for first responders to use in an emergency. The information includes cognitive conditions, visual or hearing impairment, health conditions, medications, and emergency contacts. All information is confidential and is only used by emergency dispatchers and first responders.

Kernersville Police Detective Dave Mundy came up with the initial concept for Forsyth CARES. MapForsyth, the city-county geographic information office, developed Forsyth CARES while working with Forsyth County Emergency Services and Sheriff’s Office, Kernersville PD and the City of Winston-Salem.

“It is a great honor and a spectacular achievement for the team that created Forsyth CARES to be recognized with a 2023 NACo Achievement Award,” said Mundy. “The recognition this program has received is tremendous and I couldn’t be more honored to be a part of it. This is a program that I will be proud to be a part of for the rest of my life.”

“The Forsyth CARES program is truly an example of government done right and demonstrates what can be achieved when we collaborate,” said MapForsyth GIS Coordinator Jason Clodfelter. “MapForsyth is grateful to be a part of the multi-jurisdictional, multi-agency team which developed and maintains Forsyth CARES.”

Neighborhood Opportunity Atlas was recognized in the County Resiliency category.The Atlas is an online resource, which can be found at www.fcnoa.org, that provides a holistic analysis of neighborhood conditions including housing, crime, poverty, access to resources, educational attainment and performance, voter participation and health. It can help identify, compare and assess the needs of neighborhoods in Forsyth County for planning, programming, budgeting and evaluation by government and private entities.

"Forsyth County's MapForsyth department in conjunction with Winston-Salem State's Spatial Justice Studio created the Neighborhood Opportunity Atlas (FCNOA) to be a robust online tool to inform decision making by policymakers, elected officials, non-profits and the public,” said GIS Project Manager David Toren. “We are very much appreciative of the National Association of Counties for recognizing the value of the FCNOA."

The Men’s Health Program was recognized in the Health and Human Services category. Forsyth County Department of Public Health began the program to address increasing health issues in vulnerable male populations. The program includes education sessions and discussion forums that engage with men on issues related to their health and wellbeing. The program also engages with community partners and local churches to encourage men’s health, and holds outreach events like a community basketball game and health fair held earlier this year.

“Congratulations to the Men's Health Program,” said Forsyth Health Services Coordinator Alexis Lambert. “This program is working to improve overall health outcomes, promote awareness of County services and resources to men in the community. “

For more information on the Men’s Health Program, call 336-703-3366.