Erin Shoe of Cabarrus Health Alliance receives NCPHA Reynolds Achievement award

CABARRUS COUNTY, N.C. (WBTV) - At the North Carolina Public Health Association (NCPHA) annual educational conference in Asheville this week, Erin Shoe, Deputy Healthy Director at Cabarrus Health Alliance (CHA), Cabarrus County’s public health authority, was presented with the Reynolds Achievement Award.

The Reynolds Achievement Award is awarded to an individual NCPHA member who has made the greatest contribution to public health in North Carolina during the past year.

“Erin Shoe is beyond a worthy recipient of the Reynolds Achievement Award, not just for this past year, but her entire career” said Dr. Bonnie Coyle, CHA Health Director. “In the two years that I have had the opportunity to work with Erin, it is clear that she has a passion for public health, but more importantly a passion for the people of Cabarrus County. Even in the midst of a pandemic, she continued to strategize and push staff to improve service systems and respond to community needs.”

During Shoe’s 17-years of service to Cabarrus County, she has contributed to a number of achievements that have improved health outcomes for patients, clients and the community-at-large.

Her career began at CHA in 2003, when she helped with community-wide response efforts following the closing of the Pillowtex Corporation. She then transitioned to overseeing Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement funds, focusing on tobacco prevention among youth in Cabarrus County. Leveraging her work with teens, in 2009 Shoe helped pilot CHA’s innovative teen pregnancy prevention program—a program that has been successful in decreasing teen pregnancy rates in Cabarrus County.

In 2011, she was promoted to oversee CHA’s Women, Infant, Children (WIC) program, managing 16 staff and overseeing Quality Improvement projects, as well as a collaboration with the Institute for Public Health that increased program efficiency and ensured compliance with state and federal regulations. Several years later, Shoe was promoted to the role of Chief Operating Officer (COO), where she oversaw agency operations, including 240 staff and a $26 million budget; and launched CHA’s Leadership Development Program.

When COVID-19 hit in March 2020, Shoe quickly organized essential staff to activate our Public Health Command Center and responded to the first COVID death in the state as Incident Commander. Her longstanding relationships and partnerships allowed for a quick response and collaboration to keep employees, partners, and the community informed with up-to-date information and guidance through a variety of platforms, including social media, virtual town halls, and cross-agency meetings three times a week.

“She demonstrated true leadership by leaning into the strengths and knowledge of her colleagues, maintaining a positive attitude, and keeping employee morale up during the scary and continuously evolving pandemic,” said Dr. Coyle.