CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The late Paul Nusbaum, who spent over four decades in the healthcare industry in various roles, was honored Wednesday in front of his family and colleagues.
Paul Nusbaum was granted the first Dr. Rahul Gupta Public Health Merit Award posthumously. Gupta, Director of National Drug Control Policy, White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, spoke at the ceremony at the Henry C. “Hoppy” Shores County Commission Courtroom.
Michael Nusbaum, the son of Paul, accepted the award on his behalf.
“It’s truly an honor. On behalf of my mother, sister and wife, we sincerely appreciate the Kanawha County Commission and Dr. Gupta’s kind words,” Nusbaum said.
Nusbaum explained his father spent more than 40 years in health care from from the administrative side to the front lines. Paul Nusbaum died at the age of 71 in February, as a member of the Kanawha-Charleston Board of Health at the time of his death.
He was also a former state Department of Health and Human Resources Secretary under former Gov. Bob Wise from 2001-2005. He also worked in hospitals and healthcare centers around the Kanawha Valley including working with Gupta.
Gupta served as the health officer and executive director for the Kanawha Charleston Health Department from 2009-2014 and the state Commissioner of Public Health and state Health Officer from 2015 to 2018.
“I don’t have words to describe the amount of work and hours we spent together,” Gupta said of Nusbaum. “On every shoot, from health to his health, from policies to work he has done. He has been a mentor and guide to me.”
Michael Nusbaum said his dad had a passion for what he did and would be honored by the recognition.
“He had a deep care for rural communities in West Virginia. He wanted to ensure that the less fortunate had access to healthcare throughout the communities in West Virginia,” Michael said.