The award recognizes an individual in Florida for his or her outstanding achievements and career contributions towards improving the health of mothers, infants and children through maternal and child health advocacy.  It is modeled after the March of Dimes Lifetime Achievement Award in Public Affairs, for which the late Governor Chiles was the inaugural recipient. (Photo L-R: Debbie Dawson, Florida Chapter State Director, Dee Jay Hellrung, and Dr. Charles Mahan, State Prematurity Workgroup Committee).

Dee Jay Hellrung was chosen for this award for her tireless work to advocate for public policy to benefit mothers, infants and children.  On the national level, she was instrumental in advocating for and raising awareness among March of Dimes volunteers and supporters in both the medical and business field about the Prematurity Research, Expansion and Education for Mothers who Deliver Infants Early Act, or PREEMIE Act, which was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Bush in December of 2006.  For Florida, Mrs. Hellrung was instrumental in the legislative effort to expand the state’s newborn screening program for early diagnosis, follow-up and treatment of disabling and/or life-threatening conditions. In January of 2006, Florida implemented the statewide requirement for all babies to be screened for at least 28 out of the 29 “core” treatable conditions recommended by the American College of Medical Genetics (ACMG) and endorsed by the March of Dimes.  In 2007, the state authorized the final “core” screen - cystic fibrosis.

Further, Mrs. Hellrung coordinated the annual “Babies in the Sunshine Week” during which March of Dimes volunteers throughout the state meet with legislators to promote the well-being of Florida’s mothers and babies. She has tirelessly walked the halls of the state Capitol talking to legislators and appeared at countless hearings before legislative committees to advocate for maternal-child health.  In the past year, Mrs. Hellrung has focused on volunteer development by training her fellow board of directors about the importance of becoming stronger advocates for the state Birth Defects Registry and Newborn Screening Program. She rallied her fellow advocates this past legislative session to contact lawmakers including Speaker of the House Larry Cretal to successfully deflect budget cuts to the Registry, and lay the groundwork to protect it during the future legislative sessions.

Dee Jay Hellrung joins a distinguished group of honorees of this award.  Past honorees include Dr. Charles S. Mahan, Dean and Professor Emeritus in the College of Public Health at the University of South Florida and The Lawton and Rhea Chiles Center for Healthy Mothers and Babies; Past Florida Senate President Jim King; Carol Brady, Executive Director, Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition; Dr. John Agwunobi, Secretary, Florida Department of Health; Dr. Wil Blechman, Past President of Kiwanis International; Dr. John Curran, Medical Director, Children’s Medical Director, Tampa Bay Region; and Former State Representative Eleanor Sobel.