BIRMINGHAM, AL — Lynn Aquadro, of Florence, Alabama, has been named the 2005 Alabama Public Health Hero by the School of Public Health at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) in recognition of her efforts to improve and protect the health of Alabamians. The award — a plaque and $1,000 — was presented to Aquadro during the school’s honors convocation held May 6 in Birmingham.

“Lynn Aquadro is a dedicated and compassionate caregiver who has devoted herself to providing quality health care for low-income families,” said Max Michael, M.D., dean of the UAB School of Public Health. “She is a true public health hero, and it is a privilege to recognize her with this honor.”

Among her contributions to improving the health of Alabamians, Aquadro created a nurse practitioner-managed clinic to serve low-income families without health insurance in northwest Alabama. “She designed the framework of the clinic, drafted its mission and helped establish the non-profit organization that oversees the clinic’s operation and fundraising,” said Shaler Roberts, executive director the Florence Housing Authority, who nominated Aquadro for the award.

The clinic first opened in 1997 and expanded in 2000. It began as a partnership between the Florence Housing Authority and the University of North Alabama’s (UNA) College of Nursing. Over the years, Aquadro has continued a partnership approach to securing lab and X-ray services, and drugs at little or no cost to the clinic and its patients.

Aquadro also serves as a faculty member at UNA’s College of Nursing. The clinic provides hands-on training for nursing students in a primary care setting, while students provide needed staffing for the clinic.

“Lynn consistently goes above and beyond the call of duty to care for her many patients,” Roberts said. “Today, there are hundreds of needy families in northwest Alabama who are healthier and working because of her vision and determination.”