Aldan recognized for ‘Excellence in State MCH Leadership’

The top official of the Division of Public Health Services of the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. was the first to be awarded a state maternal and child health leadership award in the Pacific.

DPH director Margarita Torres Aldan was recently recognized for “Excellence in State MCH Leadership” by the Association of Maternal and Child Health Program.

The award is given to an outstanding state MCH professional whose career has made significant contributions to the health of women, children, and families in their state.

It recognizes an outstanding state MCH professional whose career in MCH has made significant contributions to their state’s MCH program, state maternal and child health outcomes, and made other significant contributions to promoting and protecting the health of women, children, and families in their state.

It recognizes MCH leaders who inspires and brings people together to achieve sustainable results to improve the lives of the MCH population.

Aldan received the award in recognition of her efforts in coordinating health care during the recovery period after the devastating impact of Typhoon Soudelor that struck Saipan on August last year.

Aldan received the award at the AMCHP Conference in Washington, D.C. held earlier in April, and was recognized locally at the Women’s Health Month kickoff celebrations.

Prior to being the DPH director, Aldan served as the Maternal and Child Health Program coordinator.

Aldan’s colleagues said they are proud of her achievement and praised the good work she has done.

“It has been a privilege and a pleasure to work with Margarita. We were so thrilled and please when she was nominated for and won,” CHCC-OBGYN Department chair Dr. Jeanolivia Grant said.

“Congratulations to Margarita Torres Aldan for achieving this award, the very first to be presented to someone in the Pacific Basin jurisdictions,” she added.

“We’re so excited and we’re so proud of her because her occupation, her work has been recognized, first of all it really puts the CNMI on the map, but most importantly its recognizing her work, we recognize her work and it’s really just amazing that even in the 50 states in the program, basically they recognized her as well,” CHCC chief executive officer Esther Muna said.

“To have individuals that have the passion to work in those things in trying to get the community to bring them to that status [of equity in the mainland], is amazing and it’s really appreciative and I’m really proud of her,” she added.