Elizabeth "Libby" Busenlehner, a senior Environmental Health Specialist with the Alexandria Health Department, was recently awarded the Jerrold Michael Award for outstanding achievement in the field of environmental health.

Presented by the National Capital Area Environmental Health Association, Busenlehner was honored "for her bioterrorism and foodborne illness surveillance work and her exceptional work in community environmental health assessment," according to the department.

"Not only was it a great honor to get this award but the fact that Dr. Jerrold Michael himself presented it to me added to the honor," Busenlehner said. The award is presented each year to a practitioner of this specialty in the Washington Metropolitan Region.

Since the anthrax incidents in September 2001, Busenlehner has worked as part of a multi-disciplinary team at the city's health department that reviews local hospital admission records on a daily basis for any indications of potential bioterrorism attacks. She has also been instrumental in increasing the department's data management capability through implementation of a new database system.

"You collect numbers and statistics and put them into categories to check for any irregularities to make sure the community is safe," she explained. "These stats are grouped into eight categories that coincide with areas of the body."

Busenlehner coordinated the post 9/11 revision of the department's emergency operations plan. She played a major role in investigating several foodborne disease outbreaks associated with local restaurants, the department reported. Over the next two years, she will coordinate the city's completion of a comprehensive community environmental health assessment.

"Ms. Busenlehner represents a fine example of the modern public health professional," said Dr. Charles Konigsberg, Jr, the city's health director. "We are very fortunate to have her on our staff."

THAT PRAISE WAS echoed by Bob Custard, Alexandria's Environmental Health Manager. "Ms. Busenlehner is one of the finest environmental health professionals in Virginia. We are extremely proud that she has been recognized by her peers with this prestigious award," he said.

A graduate of George Mason University, Busenlehner is a native of Fairfax and joined the Alexandria Health Department in 1996. Prior to that she served with the Virginia Health Department since 1990.

Dr. Michael, for whom the award is named, was the founding president of the National Capital Area Environmental Health Association in 1960. He had a long career in the U.S. Public Health Service prior to becoming dean of the School of Health at the University of Hawaii. Currently, he serves as an adjunct professor of global health at George Washington University's School of Public Health.