Cobb & Douglas Public Health Honored with Two Awards for Excellence in Finance

Cobb & Douglas Public Health (CDPH) received two awards from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) for excellence in financial reporting related to their year-end comprehensive annual financial report (CAFR) and the FY2018 budget.

The Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting covering FY2017 was awarded to CDPH in April 2018 and is considered the highest form of recognition in government accounting and financial reporting by GFOA. Cobb & Douglas Public Health submitted their comprehensive annual financial report to be reviewed by an impartial panel to meet the high standards of the GFOA program, which includes demonstrating a constructive “spirit of disclosure” to clearly communicate its financial story and motivate potential users and user groups to read the CAFR.

Michele DiSalle, Controller, at Cobb & Douglas Public Health accepted the award on behalf of herself and the team, who were responsible for preparing the award-winning CAFR.

The Distinguished Budget Presentation Award was presented to Cobb & Douglas Public Health for the FY2018 budget in early 2018. Recognition by GFOA of the CDPH FY2018 budget indicates the commitment of Cobb & Douglas Public Health as a governing body and its staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting. To receive the budget award, CDPH had to satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation, including being rated in all four categories (policy document, financial plan, operations guide, communications device), and in the 14 mandatory criteria within those categories to receive the award.

Valerie Prince, Deputy Administrator received a Certificate of Recognition for Budget Presentation on behalf of herself and the team, who were responsible for preparing the Budget Presentation.

There are over 1,600 participants in the Budget Awards Program. The most recent Budget Award recipients, along with their corresponding budget documents, are posted quarterly on GFOA’s website. Cobb & Douglas Public Health is among the recipients who have pioneered efforts to improve the quality of budgeting and provide an excellent example for other governments throughout North America.

CDPH is the only local health department in Georgia and one of only three in the U.S. to receive the CAFR award, and the only local health department in the U.S. to receive the Budget Presentation Award for FY2018.

To view these awards and their corresponding budget documentation, please visit http://www.gfoa.org/awards and select either Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting Program, or Distinguished Budget Presentation Award Program to view the most recent year’s results.

About Cobb & Douglas Public Health
Cobb & Douglas Public Health, along with the Georgia Department of Public Health, has been committed to the mission of “Healthier Lives. Healthier Community.” since 1920. We are dedicated to improving our residents’ quality of life by tracking and preventing the spread of disease, promoting health and safety, providing exceptional medical services, and ensuring that our community is prepared for public health emergencies. For more information, visit www.cobbanddouglaspublichealth.org.