URAC, Care Continuum Alliance Honor Innovative Wellness and Prevention Efforts Worldwide

International Health Promotion Awards Recognize Six Workplace and Community Health Promotion Programs from Around the Globe

ROME, Italy, and WASHINGTON, D.C.—Six workplace and community-based programs from around the globe that use innovative strategies to improve health and reduce the risk of chronic disease won honors this week in the 2011 International Health Promotion Awards (IHPA) competition, co-sponsored by URAC and the Care Continuum Alliance.

URAC and the Care Continuum Alliance made the awards Dec. 6 during a symposium in Rome, Italy, at which 12 finalists—six each in Workplace Health Promotion and Community Health Promotion categories—presented their programs.

"These programs represent some of the best ideas in community and workplace health promotion," said URAC President and CEO Alan P. Spielman, "We are honored to share these outstanding programs throughout the health care community, with the firm belief that the result will be lives saved across the globe."

"We had 12 outstanding finalists this year and many excellent nominations overall, which underscores the growing recognition globally of the value in wellness and health promotion," said Care Continuum Alliance President and CEO Tracey Moorhead. "Their commitment to population health and the experiences they shared at the IHPA will accelerate the spread of best practices and spark continued innovation in health promotion."

Today's winners were chosen by a panel of expert judges comprising health care professionals and policymakers from around the world. Finalists were evaluated by online submissions and their presentations at the Symposium.

International Community Health Awards

These awards honor organizations whose ideas in health promotion and disease prevention have made significant contributions to improving individuals' lives and well being in local communities. To help continue these efforts, the chosen programs also receive a $5,000 award. The winners were:

• The Banyan, Changing the face of Mental Health across India, India
• International Virtual e-Hospital Foundation, Initiate-Build-Operate-Transfer: A Strategy for Establishing Sustainable Tele-Health, United States
• Riders for Health, Building a Healthier Future through Reliable Transportation, Africa

International Workplace Health Awards

These awards honor health promotion programs that optimize and maintain overall health and mitigate disease risk in the workplace. The winners were:

• Apparel Lesotho Alliance to Fight AIDS, ALAFA, Lesotho
• State of Rhode Island Office of Employee Benefits, Rewards for Wellness, United States
• Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Telecare to Remote Areas, Brazil

The IHPA Symposium featured keynote speeches from distinguished international health care leaders, including European Medical Association President Vincenzo Costigliola, MD; Ranieri Guerra, MD, Scientific Attaché, Italian Embassy to the United States; and Mateja de Leonni Stanonik, MD, PhD, with the Department of Global Health, George Washington University and former Surgeon General of the Republic of Slovenia.

Also at the Rome event, URAC and the Care Continuum Alliance released a white paper on successful health promotion strategies, based on 2010 IHPA presentations. The white paper, "Fulfilling the Promise of Workplace Wellness: IBM's Systematic Approach to Implementing Global Wellness," features IBM as one of the 2010 International Workplace Health Promotion Award winners and many of the ideas shared at the inaugural International Health Promotion Awards Symposium.

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About the Care Continuum Alliance
The Care Continuum Alliance represents more than 200 organizations and individuals and aligns all stakeholders along the continuum of care toward improving the health of populations. Through advocacy, research and education, The Care Continuum Alliance advances population-based strategies to improve care quality and value and to reduce preventable costs and improve quality of life for individuals with and at risk of chronic conditions. Learn more at http://www.carecontinuum.org.

About URAC
URAC, an independent, nonprofit organization, is well-known as a leader in promoting health care quality through its accreditation, education and measurement programs. URAC offers a wide range of quality benchmarking programs and services that keep pace with the rapid changes in the health care system, and provide a symbol of excellence for organizations to validate their commitment to quality and accountability. Through its broad-based governance structure and an inclusive standards development process, URAC ensures that all stakeholders are represented in establishing meaningful quality measures for the entire health care industry. For more information, visit www.urac.org.