Burke's Scalise earns Dogwood Award from NC Attorney General

Burke County Director of Public Health Danny Scalise is having himself quite a year when it comes to professional accolades and recognition.

The latest feather in Scalise’s cap is his selection as a recipient of the North Carolina Attorney General’s prestigious Dogwood Award for 2024. The annual award celebrates individuals who have demonstrated exceptional dedication to improving the lives and well-being of North Carolinians.

Attorney General Josh Stein, the North Carolina governor-elect, presented the award during a ceremony Dec. 12 in Buncombe County.

Each year, the Dogwood Award is given to individuals across the state who have made significant contributions to their communities. Scalise is one of 28 recipients this year.

“I am deeply honored to receive the Attorney General’s Dogwood Award,” Scalise said. “Public health is a team effort, and this recognition reflects the hard work and dedication of so many in Burke County and across North Carolina who are committed to creating safer, healthier, and more vibrant communities.

“I thank Governor-Elect Stein for shining a light on the vital work happening in our state and for his unwavering commitment to improving the lives of North Carolinians.”

Stein said Scalise’s work, particularly as it pertains to the opioid crisis, has been exemplary.

“Danny has been leading Burke County’s work to treat substance use disorder and opioid addiction as the public health crisis that it is,” Stein said. “His leadership is helping people get and stay healthy.”

The Dogwood Award was the second major honor for Scalise in as many months. Scalise received the American Public Health Association’s W.C. Woodward Award in November.

The Woodward award “recognizes a member who has significantly advanced the field of health administration through exemplary leadership, innovation, and service.”

Scalise has served as Burke’s Health Director since 2021.

Under his leadership, the department has expanded its role in public health, embarked on a quest to become a teaching health department, successfully quashed a serious Hepatitis A outbreak, helped launch a series of free community forums on substance abuse featuring distinguished speakers like Stein, and helped guide the community out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He is also an adjunct professor at Campbell University’s School of Osteopathic Medicine and teaches Health Policy at the West Virginia University School of Public Health.

Scalise holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from West Virginia University Institute of Technology, a Master of Business Administration from the John Chambers College of Business & Economics at West Virginia University, and a Master of Public Health degree in Health Policy from West Virginia University’s School of Public Health.

He is certified in Public Health by the National Board of Public Health Examiners and is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

In April, Scalise facilitated a visit and brainstorming session to UNC Health Blue Ridge by the Office on National Drug Control Policy’s Director — the national “Drug Czar” — Dr. Rahul Gupta.

Earlier this year, Burke’s Health Department was named the Dr. Sarah Morrow Health Department of the Year by the North Carolina Public Health Association (APHA).

The department was also recently named a Healthy People 2030 Champion for 2024 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In addition, the department’s Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program received the Gold Breastfeeding Award of Excellence from the U.S. Department of Agriculture this year.

Also, Assistant Health Director Ashley Jarrett was appointed to the North Carolina Interagency Council for Coordinating Homeless Programs by Gov. Roy Cooper this year.