Left to Right: Patricia Boswell, administrator for the Florida Department of Health in Volusia County and Jyothi Praveen

Daytona Beach, Fla. - Jyothi Praveen is the Florida Department of Health (DOH) in Volusia County’s 2015 Employee of the Year. Assigned to the epidemiology department, Praveen is known for her solid work ethic and empathetic attitude toward patient victims. She was presented the award at an April 7 employee in-service gathering in Daytona Beach.

“Jyothi has a wide-range of public health responsibilities,” said Patricia Boswell, DOH-Volusia’s administrator. “She works diligently to investigate the source of diseases. She coordinates a prevention program. She willingly accepts additional assignments, and she handles these tasks while exhibiting the caring nature that people expect from their public health department.”

In 2015, Praveen completed 107 disease investigations in six months and participated in a foodborne disease investigation at a local restaurant and a behavioral health facility. Her official title, government operations consultant, encompasses a wide-variety of tasks. For example, she coordinates the department’s Hepatitis B in Pregnant Women Program. To assist her team with an increased workload and ensure the health of the community is well protected, Praveen has assumed additional duties by investigating an average of seven animal bites each week – earning praise from local animal control staff, according to her award nomination.

“Jyothi is a key-player who exhibits a team-oriented positive attitude,” Boswell added. “She maintains a full workload and provides local healthcare providers daily consultation on a variety of communicable diseases.”

Praveen began her DOH career in 2011 as a biological scientist with DOH-Highlands County. She was promoted to her current position with DOH-Volusia in 2013.

Employee of the Year award nominees for 2015 include Tachara Ferguson-Reid, Charlotte Miller, Alma Nava, Melody Reffit, Kevin Billiot, Cynthia Ross, William Ward and Yolanda Cruses.

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