ABOVE: Liz Heimer received the Dr. Judith Luebke Award for Public Health Educator of the Year. Submitted photo.

FAIRMONT–For her work with Healthy Families America (HFA), Truman native Liz Heimer received the Dr. Judith Luebke Award for Public Health Educator of the Year.

The award is given by the Minnesota Society for Public Health Education to recognize a nominee’s demonstration of leadership, impact on the health of their community, and innovation and commitment to public health. Any Minnesota health educator can be nominated for the award.

Heimer said she had always wanted to pursue a career in health but didn’t initially know there was such a variety of opportunities.

“I didn’t know this was a career to have when I graduated from high school,” Heimer said. “I worked through a few different careers like nursing and then realized I wanted to work in prevention instead.”

It was with this focus Heimer would follow to graduate with a Masters in Community Health Education from Minnesota State University-Mankato. Her career has taken her to Minnesota’s Statewide Health Improvement Partnership, the American Lung Association for Tobacco-Free Living, and now the HFA.

Currently, she serves as its Program Manager for the South Central Minnesota Area.

“I coordinate an eight-county region, including Waseca, Le Sueur, Nicollet, Jackson, Cottonwood, and Watonwan counties along with Faribault and Martin,” Heimer said. “I serve for a childhood health program that focuses on infant mental health and attachments so parents can have a healthy relationship with their children. We help parents with lower income or single parents, and other situations.”

The focus for Heimer and her team is benefitting new families and their children in the eight-county region.

“We want to see kids healthy and thriving with a secure relationship to their families,” she said. “The relationships they form at the beginning inform the relationships they will have moving forward. We teach developmental milestones and connect families with resources like housing and food assistance. We screen for different mental issues with parents and children for developmental issues.”

For Heimer, public health means having an overarching positive impact on the community she cares about.

“In a way that is going to impact their health for years to come,” she said. “Not just individuals, but encouraging communities to make healthy and positive choices.”

While she is grateful to receive the award, Heimer knows plenty of others need to be recognized for the work they have been able to accomplish.

“I felt like there were so many people that encouraged and supported me to receive this award,” she said. “It didn’t exactly feel it was right that it went just to me. I have a network of supporting and encouraging people. My team has been very instrumental in helping me make decisions and create long-lasting change.”

With this award under her belt, Heimer is looking to continue making the most of her time by doing what’s made them successful.

“Our team has been constantly evolving to make things better for us and our families with new angles,” she said. “We listen to the whole team, not having a hierarchy of holding some people above others. Our home visitors contribute a lot to our ideas and success because they are the ones going out every day.”

If a new family is looking for support, Heimer recommends calling the Community Health and Human Services of Faribault and Martin County at 507-328-4757.