The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a press release on July 15, 2011, announcing the winners of the 2011 Healthy Living Innovation Awards, an awards program that highlights innovative health promotion projects, focusing on wellness, prevention and healthy living, that have demonstrated a significant impact on the health of the community within the past three years.
The 2011 Healthy Living Innovation Awards winners will receive an award from HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius in Washington, D. C., and the winners will present information on their innovations a national conference to be held in the fall of 2011.
“The 2011 Healthy Living Innovation Awards represented an exciting chance to foster the spread of effective, community-based efforts that employ innovative approaches to promotehealthy weight, physical activity and nutrition,” said Secretary Sebelius. “Communities across the United States submitted creative, replicable and sustainable innovations that demonstrate outstanding leadership and promising results.”
The awards are a part of Secretary Sebelius’ Healthy Weight Initiative and HHS’ continuing focus on highlighting preventive health and wellness and recognizing organizations that implement innovative approaches to address chronic diseases and promote healthier lifestyles.
To be nominated, organizations had to demonstrate that they are carrying out an innovative project in at least one of three health promotion areas: healthy weight, physical activity, and nutrition. Awards were granted based on the criteria of creativity and innovation, leadership, sustainability, replicability, and results/outcomes.
The 2011 Award winners announced in each category are:
- Faith-Based and/or Community Initiatives: Taking the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program to Scale—YMCA of the USA, (Chicago, Ill.)
- Health Care Delivery: Healthy Howard Health Coaching—Healthy Howard Inc (Columbia, Md.)
- Healthy Workplace (Large employer): Shape up and Go!—Cleveland Clinic (Cleveland, Ohio)
- Healthy Workplace (Small Employer): Healthy Living Partnership Project—S2AY Rural Health (Corning, N.Y.)
- Non-Profit: Healthy NC Hospitals Initiative: Healthy Food Environment Project—North Carolina Prevention Partners (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
- Public Sector: Exercise Your Right to Feel Better Minnesota—St. Paul-Ramsey County Public Health (St. Paul, Minn.)
- Schools (K-12): Mornings in Motion—Oak Ridge Schools (Oak Ridge, Tenn.)
- Let’s Move Cities and Towns: Shape Up Somerville—City of Somerville Massachusetts (Somerville, Mass.)
“The eight winners of the Healthy Living Innovation Awards represent the most creative, innovative and effective ideas from around the country to promote health within communities,” said Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation Sherry Glied, Ph.D. “We hope that these eight outstanding projects will serve as model programs for community stakeholders to encourage people in their communities to include healthy living activities in their daily lives.”
An HHS expert panel of judges selected finalists from among a competitive group of 245 submissions. The finalists were then submitted to the public for voting. Secretary Sebelius made the final determination of winners based on public votes and recommendations from the expert panel.
Visit healthylivinginnovation.challenge.gov to learn more about the Healthy Living Innovation Awards winners.
Watch a video by HHS about the Healthy Living Innovation Awards »
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Copyright © 2011 Care-Help LLC
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