Effingham County Health Department Nurse Manager Cindy Grovenstein was named the recipient of the Maggie Kline Nursing Award by the Georgia Public Health Association. Grovenstein was presented with the award at GPHA’s 84th annual meeting and conference held recently in Atlanta.

Grovenstein, who has been in nursing for 34 years and with the Effingham County Health Department for the past eight years, was chosen from nominees from around the state of Georgia. She was primarily recognized for improving immunization outcomes in Effingham County, specifically in regards to influenza.

Under Grovenstein’s leadership, the Effingham County Health Department has played a vital role in improving the health of the community by dramatically increased the number of children who received school-based flu vaccine.

Her initiative to host the school-based clinics coupled with local pediatrician acceptance and promotion of the flu vaccine has resulted in a continual increase in the number of students in Effingham County who have been vaccinated against the flu. The numbers have increased 26 percent in one year.

“It really is an honor to be recognized for work that I truly love to do,” said Grovenstein. “Immunizations are so important when it comes to limiting the spread of disease, and that is one of our main goals in public health.”

In addition to her grass-roots effort to increase awareness about the importance of getting immunized against the flu and other vaccine-related and preventable diseases, Grovenstein has worked with teachers to develop a program that instructs students about health and health careers. She also dedicates much of her time to using a hands-on approach to educate students about the importance of public health in general.

Grovenstein lives in Clyo  with her husband Mike and son Caleb.