Margaret Bean, program manager for Northwest Health District 1-1, received the first Spirit of Public Health award from DPH Commissioner Brenda Fitzgerald, M.D.

When you ask colleagues about Margaret Bean, program manager for Northwest Health District 1-1, they might talk about her dedication to public health or her tireless advocacy for her staff and the community. But many will mention her oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, which she bakes for monthly staff meetings.

 

"Those cookies are symbolic, really, of the extra steps she takes, the extra energy she brings," said Wade Sellers, M.D., district health director. "There's really no one else like Margaret Bean."

 

On Feb. 28, Bean will report to the district health office in Rome for her last day of work, ending a 44-year career in public health. She'll leave a major legacy not just in her district, but across the state. Kathy Miner, professor at Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health, has worked with Bean for more than 30 years. To her, Bean is the "heart and soul" of public health in the state.

 

"When I heard she was retiring, I asked, 'How can that be?'" Miner said. "It's going to be a real loss to public health in Georgia."

 

Bean said she just feels lucky to have had so many opportunities to make a difference.

 

"I just find it very rewarding working in public health. It's work to prevent problems and to focus on the health of the whole community through important partnerships," Bean said. "Together, you can get a lot done."

 

Bean began her public health career in 1968, working with staff in 13 counties in southeast Tennessee and northern Georgia to serve children with special needs. In 1980, she became the nursing and clinical director for North Georgia Health District 1-2. Three years later she came to Rome, overseeing all the clinical programs and nurses in the Northwest Health District's 10 counties.

 

Bean said her role as a leader for county nurses has been one of the most satisfying aspects of her career, one that has allowed her to affect real change by grooming confident, competent public health nurses.

 

"Our nurses are a critical piece of the public health structure. They are the ones really practicing public health, not me," Bean said.

 

County nurse managers' roles require them to manage budgets and staff, care for the needs of their communities and lead a public health response when emergencies strike. These tasks require them to represent public health at the table with major county and state leaders.

 

"They have to be able to have competency to sit at that table," Bean said. "And it just takes a little encouragement to help them develop the skills they need to do that."

 

Bean and Miner created a leadership institute for county nurse managers, allowing them to come to Emory for training or even to pursue advanced degrees in public health. The success of this partnership has prompted other districts to do the same.

 

Miner said Bean has served as cheerleader and mother hen for her staff, making sure they have the time and resources to get extra training. That encouragement has been invaluable both for the nurses and for public health in Georgia.

 

"It's a hard job, but when you have a supervisor who advocates for you as Margaret does, you'll work a little bit harder. That means the people in that community will get more out of the health department," Miner said.

 

Mitzi Smith, the district's nursing director, has worked for Bean for 20 years. She said Bean played a major role in shaping her career and serving as a model of leadership.

 

"Margaret's favorite thing to say is, 'I have an opportunity for you.' She always looks for opportunities for people to grow and develop," Smith said.

 

In addition to finding opportunities for her staff, Bean is known for spotting ways to improve how public health meets the needs of residents and netting major federal grants to put those visions to work. One example is the district's dental health program, established in 2001 with federal grant money. Bean worked with Dr. Charles Roszel, the first dentist hired by the district, to deliver dental care to school children from a customized mobile van. In 2003, Bean and Roszel worked to make the dental clinic a part of Floyd County's new health department building. Today, the program offers dental care to low-income children and adults and provides training opportunities to dental students from Georgia Regents University.

 

"If it wasn't for Margaret, we wouldn't have had that federal grant to start the clinic. Countless people without quality dental services would have continued to suffer, not to mention all the students who wouldn't have received their training," Sellers said.

 

In January, DPH Commissioner Brenda Fitzgerald, M.D., made Bean the first recipient of the Spirit of Public Health award for her service and dedication to public health in Georgia. Bean said she usually doesn't like to receive awards, but this one was particularly special.

 

"It really meant a lot to me. And I like the title, the Spirit of Public Health, because that's what I hope to do -- share the spirit of public health," Bean said.

 

Bean plans to spend her retirement serving at her church, tending her garden and spending more time with family. When it comes to the future of public health in Georgia, Bean's advice is similar to the outlook that drove her own career: confront challenges and seek opportunities to make a difference.

 

"The opportunities we have are much greater than the challenges. We've had a lot of great success, but we've got to continue to dream big dreams for the future," Bean said. "We've got a great department of public health, but we can make it even greater."