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Acting Surgeon General, Steven Galson, MPH, MD, announced the Innovation in Prevention Award recipients at the 2007 National Prevention and Health Promotion Summit in Washington, DC. The Innovation in Prevention Awards are a component of the HealthierUS initiative, designed to advance President Bush’s goal of helping Americans live longer, better, and healthier lives. The Innovation in Prevention Awards identify and celebrate outstanding organizations that have implemented innovative and creative chronic disease prevention and health promotion programs. These awards are aimed to provide an opportunity to increase public awareness of creative approaches to develop and expand innovative health programs and duplication of successful strategies. 2007 Awardees by Category Faith-based & Community-based Initiatives
- Get Fit MarylandTM – University of Maryland Medical Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, and Merritt Athletic Clubs – Baltimore, MD
- Latinas en Accion – Douglas County Health Department and Interfaith Health Service – Omaha, NE
Health Care Delivery SystemHealthy Workplace, Large Employer (500 or more employees) Healthy Workplace, Small Employer (less than 500 employees)Non-ProfitPublic SectorSchools (K-12)
Program Abstracts Faith-based & Community-based Initiatives Get Fit MarylandTM – University of Maryland Medical Center – Baltimore, MD In 2005, the University of Maryland Medical Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, and Merritt Athletic Clubs, as well as, community partners joined efforts to encourage and assist the residents of Baltimore and its employers to promote wellness in the community and in the workplace. Get Fit Maryland is a 12-week program targeting obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease prevention and awareness. This award-winning program utilizes pedometers, fitness centers, seminars, physicians, nurses, and other health care professionals to reach the community to provide: - Education on the causes and prevention of obesity
- A user-friendly program to increase daily activity in a safe and feasible fashion.
- Encouragement and support to participants to lose weight, maintain a healthy weight, and make important lifestyle changes.
Get Fit Maryland had its inaugural launch in the spring of 2005 and has maintained its presence in the community through 2006 and 2007. With its portability and user-friendly format, the GFM 10,000 steps walking program was designed to fit any lifestyle. Enrollees were charged a nominal fee and asked to record their daily steps in a logbook while recording personal step count goals for a three-month period. They received monthly incentives to help bolster adherence and provide motivation. At the end of each month, logbooks were exchanged and/or shown for prizes. All participants received a free-month membership to all Merritt Health Clubs, health screening options (i.e. blood pressure screening, weights, and BMI), access to numerous health seminars, and a variety of sponsor/vendor coupons. Initially, in 2005 the program focused on adults who had led relatively inactive lifestyles in the Baltimore metro area. Since then, the program has expanded to a broader audience to include residents of Maryland as well as elementary school children.
Latinas en Accion – Douglas County Health Department and Interfaith Health Service – Omaha, NE Latinas en Accion is the only physical activity/health education program in Douglas County that is exclusively designed to address the needs of Latina women. In addition to 6 exercise sessions per week, health education is provided after exercise classes on relevant health topics. Partnerships established with local nursing schools provided nursing students to assist with baseline health information, including blood pressure, height, weight, BMI, waist measurements, resting and target heart rate, and showing the women how to self-monitor. Within 6 months the group average resting heart rate decreased from 78 to 70; the group average blood pressure decreased from 120/74 to 114/70; and the group weight loss was 123 lbs. The Super Kids Club component engages children in physical activity and good nutrition while their mothers exercise. Family Days and field trips are designed to include children and parents in physical activities. A cultural assessment conducted last year identified the influence of culture on health behaviors. Group discussions with Latina women provided information regarding family, education and faith/philosophy as factors that influence health outcomes. This provided an opportunity to better understand diverse cultural perceptions of risk factors and protective health factors of the Latina culture. Priority areas identified through this assessment will lead our program to place a great emphasis on childhood nutrition in the coming year. Latina women from within the community were hired and trained as exercise instructors, childcare providers, and Community Health Workers, giving them ownership of the program. Overall, the program is driven by the participants and encompasses a family-centered approach to healthy living, empowering women with the knowledge and confidence to make healthy decisions for themselves and their families.
Health Care Delivery System Fit Kids & TIPPs – Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta – Atlanta, GA Fit Kids is a six-week program designed for overweight children, age 6-12 and their families. Classes are held once a week for 90 minutes. A physician’s permission to participate is required and maximum class size is 12 families. There are two instructors for each class, one for parents and one for the kids. At each class, families meet as a group to review nutrition and physical activity goals. Class is then split between parents and kids. Parents follow a curriculum notebook and discuss family dynamics around eating and nutrition, hunger-fullness regulation, child’s body image, importance of physical activity, parent as role model, barriers to change in making family lifestyle changes. Kids follow the same curriculum and receive a 45 minute exercise session. Fit Kids program objectives are to help families: Create healthy life-style changes for everyone in the family; Use a non-diet approach to eliminate food struggles, understand nutrition and improve eating habits and patterns and to increase consumption of fruits and vegetables; Develop increased levels of physical activity; Decrease "screen time" and other sedentary activities Fit Kids began in 1996 and nearly 700 families have since attended the classes. The overall class completion rate is 96%. Parents and kids complete pre- and post- tests to assess changes in knowledge and behavior. A weekly goal sheet is completed to track behavior changes in five areas: Completion of weekly family activity; consumption of fruits and vegetables; amount of “screen time” spent each week; number of family meals served and number of sweetened beverages served. Follow-up surveys are sent to families after two years of completion. The summary of these results are: 97% report serving fruits/vegetables; 67% report increased physical activity in family; 58% have reduced the total amount of "screen time"; and 98% offer milk or water with meals and snacks. TIPPs is a 12-week after school exercise and nutrition program for overweight youth ages 10 to 18. TIPPs helps youth and their families develop a lifestyle makeover that includes healthy eating and physical activity behaviors, and increased self-esteem. The long-term goal of this program is to delay for life, if possible, the onset of type 2 diabetes in youth. The primary modifiable risk factors include overweight and lack of physical activity. The short-term goals to help children modify these risk factors are: 1) increase daily physical activity, 2) decrease sedentary behaviors (TV, video games, computer), and 3) increase healthy eating behaviors. Participants begin with baseline lab values, height and weight measurements, fitness testing, and eating habits questionnaire, which are used to develop individualized exercise and nutrition sessions. Youth participate in twice weekly exercise sessions (45 minutes each) after a fitness assessment with a exercise specialist, learning about benefits of an active lifestyle. Participants engage in balance, flexibility and strength training and aerobic conditioning. Four individual nutrition consults and two food demonstrations of healthy eating provide guidance to facilitate positive eating behaviors and support active lifestyles. After 12 weeks, lab values, height, weight, fitness level and eating habits are reassessed and healthy lifestyle goals are redefined. Outcomes include stabilization of body mass index, improved lab values, and increased voluntary physical activity. Participant Demographics: 56% male 43% African American 49% Hispanic 8% Caucasian Results for 2005-06 participants include: 78% decreased/stabilized body mass index 61% decreased total cholesterol 61% decreased LDL (bad) cholesterol 54% increased HDL (good) cholesterol 57% normalized or decreased fasting insulin 65% completed the program These outcomes are significant risk factors for diabetes. By decreasing risk factors, participants reduced the grim likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes and its long-term complications of blindness, kidney failure, amputations and premature death.
Healthy Workplace, Large Employer (500 or more employees) FPL-Well – FPL Group – Juno Beach, FL The FPL-WELL program includes four divisions: Health Promotion, Fitness Centers, Health Centers and Employee Assistance Program (EAP)/Mental Health. Through an integrated approach, these divisions provide programs that address education/awareness, and behavior change and create a supportive environment. Health screenings, educational seminars, online health tools, fitness centers, health centers and cafeterias all support a corporate wide culture of health. There are a total of 13000 eligible employees that represent the majority of the target population. A 2006 FPL-WELL program evaluation indicated that 90% of employees participated in a FPL-WELL program EMPLOYEE SATIFACTION Survey results from the 2006 FPL-WELL evaluation revealed: - 93% Overall Employee Satisfaction with FPL-WELL Program
- 93% Employee Satisfaction with FPL-WELL Fitness Centers
- 91% Indicated Self-Reported Health Improvements
- 97% Employee Satisfaction with FPL-WELL Health Centers; and
- 90% Participated in the FPL-WELL Program
Healthy Workplace, Small Employer (less than 500 employees) go!Platinum – Lincoln Industries – Lincoln, NE Lincoln Industries believes that Wellness is the core of its culture and is proud of its Wellness initiatives and program efforts. There are five main themes in relationship to Lincoln Industries' efforts. - A strong commitment to wellness and a belief statement that stands with all of the beliefs and drivers of the company: Wellness and healthy lifestyles are important to the company's success.
- Every person at Lincoln Industries (plant floor to executive) has wellness goals and objectives, which are attached to each individual’s performance evaluation.
- Wellness is presented in concert with all other company benefits and business strategies during the onset of employment.
- Each training program specific to leadership development at Lincoln Industries has a wellness component. Check-off sheets at all levels from frontline supervisors to executives are used to ensure compliance.
- The wellness program uses unique incentives to encourage employees to lead a healthy lifestyle and to actively participate in the wellness program, including monetary rewards and an invitation to join Senior Officers on a climb of a 14,000-foot mountain in Colorado.
Wellness is strongly integrated into the company's strategic plan, business initiatives, innovation processes, and people development. The three-year strategic plan is reviewed annually and presented to the senior management team, allowing for senior management team buy-in and championing. Lincoln Industries recognizes wellness as one of its driving forces for personal improvement and company success. Non-Profit Cooking with Kids – Cooking with Kids, Inc. – Santa Fe, NM New Mexico children, especially those living in poverty, are part of a growing obesity epidemic that is contributing to a dramatic increase in chronic disease. In order to motivate and empower children to make healthful food choices, Cooking with Kids (CWK) engages public school students in hands-on nutrition education using fresh, affordable foods from diverse cultures. The Spanish/English bilingual curriculum is a unique, interdisciplinary model of food and nutrition education programming integrated with academic subjects in the areas of math, language arts, science, social studies, wellness, and art, and is connected to school meals. Cooking with Kids was initiated as a volunteer program in 1995 in two Santa Fe elementary schools and currently works with 3,857 students in ten Santa Fe elementary schools with ethnically diverse populations; an average of 75% of these students qualify for free or reduced-price school meals. In 2006-2007 Cooking with Kids provided support for 1782 cooking and tasting classes, with 824 tasting classes taught by classroom teachers. Examples of foods prepared in cooking classes include Llapingachos (Ecuadorian potato dish), Chinese-American Fried Rice, Vegetable Paella, East Indian Lentils with Carrot Rice Pilaf, and Vegetable Tamales with Red Chile. Cooking with Kids consistently surveys students, families, and school personnel to receive feedback to improve the program. Despite increasing pressure on schools, Cooking with Kids continues to be embraced by the school district and sought out by others. As Bobbie Gutierrez, Deputy Superintendent of Santa Fe Public Schools, writes, “Cooking with Kids has been a long-standing and valued program by our school district. Ms. Walters and her competent staff have been providing children of all ages a wonderful experience with cooking, food and cultural education, literacy, math and science for many years through Cooking with Kids. It’s simply a program we cannot do without in our schools.”
Public Sector Coronary Artery Risk Detection in Appalachian Communities (CARDIAC) – West Virginia University – Morgantown, WV The Coronary Artery Risk Detection in Appalachian Communities (CARDIAC) Project is a chronic disease risk surveillance and intervention initiative designed to combat the unacceptably high prevalence of heart disease and diabetes in West Virginia (WV). This school-based project began with 5th graders in 3 WV counties in 1998, and progressively expanded to include all 55 counties in the state by 2003. To date, the CARDIAC Project has screened 3,539 kindergarteners, 2,275 second graders, 46,212 fifth graders, and 1,328 ninth graders. Results from the 2006-07 school year showed that 22.1% of kindergarteners, 35.4% of second graders, 45.6% of fifth graders, and 47.7% of ninth graders are at or above the 85% percentile for Body Mass Index (BMI) (at risk for overweight or overweight). For fifth and ninth graders, 17.2% and 22.9%, respectively, have abnormal fasting lipid profiles. Documentation of the high prevalence of risk factors among WV youth underscored the critical importance of establishing interventions at the school, community, and statewide level. CARDIAC's goal is to help provide, through collaboration with others, interventions that will facilitate knowledge, positive attitudes, and desired behaviors related to health risk factors, particularly physical activity and nutrition. The first statewide intervention, Healthy Hearts 4 Kids (HH), a web-based instructional module for intermediate age children, was made available to WV teachers in 2001. A summary of the pre/post knowledge/behavior results shows that student knowledge responses in all content areas (heart, PA, nutrition, tobacco) significantly improved for all cohorts participating in the program, and behavioral intentions routinely improved all years. Other evidence-based interventions, both in the school and community environments are being implemented and evaluated. Efforts to provide interventions include collaborations with a number of state institutions, organizations and agencies.
INShape Indiana Initiative – Indiana State Department of Health – Indianapolis, IN INShape Indiana is a health promotion initiative of Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels. It encompasses activities and resources aimed at increasing physical activity, improving nutrition and tobacco cessation. INShape Indiana’s most recent success was the “10 in 10 Challenge” in which 40,000 individuals participated to lose 10 pounds in 10 weeks. INShape Indiana program has grown from a Web site to a series of community events, summits, high school youth corps which expand the education to middle schools, worksite programs, and a marketing center. INShape Indiana addresses the high incidence of preventable diseases caused by lack of physical activity, poor nutrition, and tobacco use. INShape Indiana’s goal is to encourage and effect behavior change through unique programs; to create an awareness regarding the importance of daily physical activity and eating five fruits and vegetables a day; and to emphasize the importance of not smoking. As an example of goal achievement, the 10 in 10 Challenge encouraged 40,000 individuals to participate. Thirty-two percent of those who participated lost 10 or more pounds, and 3,000 participants provided updates on their achievements after 10 weeks. INShape Indiana uses a sophisticated email management software program to obtain the best possible data from those taking part in the various initiatives. Participants complete a brief survey before they begin. Subsequent email messages are customized to the participant. Messages are targeted based on geography, BMI, smoking status, gender, allowing only the most meaningful messages to be delivered, thus increasing the length of time that participants are interested in taking part. Each email contains a survey that aims to track participants’ health status throughout their involvement. These data are used to calculate weight loss, fruit and vegetable consumption, and to gauge interest for future programming. INShape Indiana targets young adults, parents, smokers, seniors, businesses, faith-based organizations, and schools.
Schools (K-12) Healthy Living Cambridge Kids – Healthy Children Task Force (HCTF) – Cambridge, MA In January 2007, the HCTF’s Healthy Living Cambridge Kids program reported that for two consecutive years, the prevalence of overweight declined 2.2%, from 20.8% to 18.6% while the prevalence of healthy weight increased 3.7%, from 59.2% to 62.9%. In addition, during that time, fitness scores increased 7.3%, from 28.4% passing all tests to 35.7%. Cambridge has been addressing childhood obesity since the 1990s, through extensive collaborations between schools, researchers, public health officials, and city partners. Over time, Healthy Living Cambridge Kids policies and programs have matured into a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach, successfully impacting children’s weight. In 1999, the HCTF identified “5-2-1” guidelines to direct policy, programming and evaluation for healthy living for children: 5 servings of fruits and vegetables, 2 hours or less of screen time, and 1 hour of physical activity. Numerous agencies and municipalities have since adopted these guidelines. Key components of the Healthy Living Cambridge Kids intervention are: 1) the Health and Fitness Progress Report, documenting BMI for age and fitness scores; 2) improved physical education through expanded, nontraditional programming, professional development, and equipment purchases; 3) partnership between school nutritionists, a consultant chef and school food services to develop healthful recipes, cafeteria taste tests with students, and staff training; 4) CitySprouts school garden program; 5) FITtogether family outreach nights ; 6) farm to school activities; 7) school nutrition policy including vending machine guidelines; 8) expanded extracurricular nutrition and fitness programming and staff training; 9) public health outreach (Golden Shoes, Fitness Buddies programs); and 10) new community partnerships (Cambridge Youth Sports Commission). Lastly, Institute for Community Health provides the research, monitoring and evaluation arm of the HCTF. ICH is a national leader in the “BMI report card”, due to its pioneering scientific evaluation. ICH’s expertise has been sought by Arkansas and Maine as well as international groups.
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