This October, Ms. Chamblee received a Lifetime Achievement award from the Lake Okeechobee Rural Health Network for her legacy improving rural health in the Glades region. Early in her career, Ms. Chamblee was called upon by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention to oversee a study on HIV and TB in the Glades area. The study evolved into the Glades Health Initiative, a nonprofit organization that provides HIV education, testing, and linkage to care services. She served as the organization’s Executive Director, founded The Arc of the Glades and was a former chair and member of Palm Beach County Community Services Department’s Citizens Advisory Committee on Health and Services.
Over the years, Ms. Chamblee was recognized for her outstanding leadership and service on numerous community, civic and governmental organizations. In 1980, she was named Belle Glade Citizen of the Year by the Belle Glade Chamber of Commerce. While she retired in 2010, she served on the Lakeside Health Advisory Board, Lake Okeechobee Rural Health Network Board and was president of the Women’s Club of Belle Glade.
“Ms. Chamblee’s unwavering commitment to ensure the health and well-being of residents in Palm Beach County, particularly in the Glades, is commendable,” said Brian R. Lohmann, Health Care District Board Chair. “Her decades of advocacy helped improve and expand access to quality health care for many in our community.”