Ed Nagle, right, and James White accept the Public Health Hero award on behalf of Nagel Companies.
A hero has been named for helping protect the health of the community.
Nagle Companies, represented by Ed Nagle and James White, was named a Public Health Hero at a ceremony held Monday at the Wood County Health Department.
The company was recognized for its contribution to protecting the health of the community, said health Commissioner Ben Robison.
The company has been willing to assist the health department when needed, including storing personal protective equipment in 2020, and has helped the county recover from emergencies, such as after the tornado went through Lake Township in 2005.
“You really do represent the greatest of the fabric that makes us great here in Wood County,” Robison said.
“We’re both very, very committed to public service,” said Nagle after he accepted the award with White, who is the company’s chief operating officer.
He said winning the award was very humbling.
“I don’t consider us to be a hero. We just do what we’re supposed to do,” Nagle said.
He said the company has been in Lake Township since 1984 and was right across the street from the Lake Township Police Department when it was destroyed by the tornado.
Because the company had a diesel generator, it was the only location with power and was used for emergency services, he said.
Giving back is a cornerstone of the ownership of the business, he said.
“It’s really our civic responsibility to help the community,” Nagle said.
The company has 63,000 square feet of warehousing and provides transportation services.
This was the first time the award was presented, and it will become an annual tradition, Robison said.
He said the idea came from the staff.
“We wanted to set the bar high,” Robison said about the recipient.
“Nagle Companies has been a huge partner for us and positioned us to meet needs like providing our (health care) providers with critical personal protective equipment during COVID when it was in short supply,” he said.
They would receive the PPE for us and store it, he said.
The award ceremony was part of an open house for the remodeled Health Center.
The public was invited to tour the center, with its larger pharmacy and waiting area, dental care and expanded behavioral health services.
“We see every dollar invested in us as a commitment to improve the lives and the wellbeing within our community,” Robison said.
The average return on investment for public health initiatives is $7-$8 for every $1 invested, he said.
A COVID vaccine clinic also was held during the open house.
“We’ve had quite a bit more demand than we initially anticipated,” Robison said.
The clinics will continue as long as there is interest in the vaccination, he said.
There has been an uptick in cases in the county, but the severe outcomes remain low.
“We know that we’re going to be living with COVID like we do the flu. … Our concern is for the folks who are at a greater risk for severe outcomes to have a comprehensive strategy to keep themselves safe, have testing if they have symptoms and seek care quickly,” Robison said.
Monday was Public Health Thank You Day.
“This is a chance for us to say thank you to our public health systems and infrastructure but especially our staff, who every day are out of the front lines providing the services that keep you safe, even if you don’t realize it,” Robison said.
Thriving communities tend to be healthy communities; it is really difficult to be productive, well-educated and connected to others when you are home sick. Public health provides ways for people to stay healthy and avoid illnesses that could prevent them from living full lives, he said.
