The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) Board of Health congratulates Vice President of the Environmental Health Department Dr. Steven Rebellato for being honoured with a Distinguished Service Award from the Association of Local Public Health Agencies (alPHa) on June 6, 2024.
“It is a pleasure and an honour to acknowledge Dr. Rebellato’s contributions to the health unit and his commitment to public health and community well-being,” says Ann-Marie Kungl, the Chair of the Board of Health for SMDHU. “In his professional and academic career, Steven has contributed to the advancement of various topics in public health including environmental health, climate change, infectious disease and artificial intelligence.”
Presented annually, the alPHa Distinguished Service Award is given to individuals who have shown exceptional qualities of leadership in their own milieu, achieved tangible results through lengthy service or distinctive acts, and shown exemplary devotion to public health at local and provincial levels.
“Recipients of alPHa’s Distinguished Service Awards have demonstrated exceptional qualities of leadership in their own area, achieved tangible results through lengthy service and/or distinctive act, and displayed exemplary devotion to public health at the provincial level, says alPHA’s CEO Loretta Ryan. “Dr. Rebellato is an outstanding public health leader and a highly dedicated volunteer. This is the highest honour that alPHa can bestow upon a member, and he is a most deserving recipient.”
Dr. Rebellato has served on the alPHa Board in several roles since 2016 and is currently serving as both the Board liaison for artificial intelligence and climate change. He earned his PhD in Public Health from the University of Waterloo. He has been serving in various academic roles at the University of Waterloo and McMaster University for several years, contributing to the both the Masters of Public Health program and Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence & Impact, respectively. Dr. Rebellato is currently a fellow at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, where he is involved in the AMS-Fitzgerald Fellowship focusing on Artificial Intelligence and Human-Centered Leadership.
Dr. Rebellato has served as the Chair (currently vice-Chair) of the York Hills Centre for Children, Youth, and Families in the Region of York, underscoring his commitment to advancing public health, volunteerism, and community well-being.