The award recognizes an individual in Florida for their outstanding achievements and career contributions towards improving the health of mothers, infants and children through maternal and child health policy and/or programs. It is modeled after the March of Dimes’ Lifetime Achievement Award in Public Affairs, for which the late Governor Chiles was the inaugural recipient. 

Representative Sobel was chosen for this award as a result of her leadership in the Florida Legislature to expand the State’s Newborn Screening Program through the enactment of House Bill 817.  House Bill 817 established a task force, known today as the Genetic and Newborn Screening Advisory Council, whose recommendations coupled with those the from the American College of Medical Genetics (ACMG) and nation-wide advocacy by the March of Dimes Foundation, convinced (then) Secretary of the Department of Health, Dr. John Agwunobi,  to expand the state’s Newborn Screening program.  Today, Florida screens newborns for 34 conditions, including 28 out of 29 “core” conditions recommended by the March of Dimes and ACMG -- with Cystic Fibrosis slated to be added this fall.  Due largely to her vision, political skill and absolute commitment to the babies of Florida, Representative Sobel truly deserves to be honored as the "Mother of Expanded Newborn Screening" in Florida.  Thanks to her, babies who would have died or been seriously impaired now have a chance to grow up to be healthy, productive citizens.

Eleanor Sobel 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; and Dr. John Curran, Medical Director, Children’s Medical Director, Tampa Bay Region.

The March of Dimes is a national voluntary health agency whose mission is to improve the health of children by preventing birth defects, preterm birth, and infant mortality.  Founded in 1938, the March of Dimes funds programs of research, community services, education, advocacy to save babies, and in 2003 launched a campaign to address the increasing rate of premature birth.  For more information, visit the March of Dimes website at marchofdimes.com/florida or the Spanish web site at.nacersano.org.