Florida Disease Detective Honored

Dr. Richard Hopkins receives 2012 Pumphandle Award

OMAHA, Neb., June 5, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Florida Department of Health employee Richard Hopkins, M.D., M.S.P.H. will receive the prestigious Pumphandle Award this evening from the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE), honoring his outstanding contributions to applied epidemiology.

"Richard Hopkins is known for his novel solutions to complex public health problems and his leadership in the field of applied epidemiology. This award recognizes his contributions to public health and the high esteem in which he is held by his colleagues," CSTE President-elect Laurene Mascola, M.D., M.P.H. said. "He is truly deserving of CSTE's highest honor."

The Pumphandle Award will be given to Dr. Hopkins during the CSTE Annual Conference's President's Banquet. Dr. Hopkins has over 30 years of experience in states as an epidemiologist, focusing on public health surveillance, informatics, and technology. He is known for his innovation and use of data to drive public health decisions; Dr. Hopkins' research while Florida's State Epidemiologist was the basis for the landmark case Florida won against the tobacco industry in 1997.

The Pumphandle Award is the most prestigious award for applied epidemiology in the country. It commemorates the actions of Dr. John Snow, a 19th century physician and the "Father of Applied Epidemiology" who ended a cholera epidemic in London by removing the pump handle from a contaminated well.

Dr. Hopkins has been a leader at the Florida Department of Health for a total of 19 years in various capacities, including his current role as the Acting State Epidemiologist. He has worked at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as well as state health departments in West Virginia, Ohio, and Colorado. Dr. Hopkins has multiple academic appointments and is involved in numerous professional organizations, including as a CSTE leader. He is known by his colleagues as a superb mentor, dedicated to developing future leadership in the Florida Department of Health.

CSTE is an organization of member states and territories and represents the perspective of epidemiologists working in state and local government. It is also a professional association of over 1,000 public health epidemiologists working in federal, state, local, and tribal health agencies, and U.S. territories. CSTE works to establish more effective working relationships among state and federal agencies and with other public health agencies. It also provides technical advice and assistance to partner organizations and to federal public health agencies such as CDC.

SOURCE Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists

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