Nemours Gives Vision Awards for Excellence in Child Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

Nemours Enterprise
Monday, October 16, 2006 @ 12:00 AM EDT

Nemours Health and Prevention Services, a division of Nemours, announced two winners in its annual awards program designed to recognize exemplary programs in child health promotion. The recipients of the 2006 Vision Awards for Excellence in Child Health Promotion and Disease Prevention are Dare to Live Healthy, The Red Clay Way, a program of Brandywine Springs Elementary School in the Red Clay Consolidated School District and The Child Asthma Link Line, a program of Healthier Babies, Healthier Futures, Inc. of Philadelphia. The awards were presented at Nemours’ Second Annual Conference on Child Health Promotion, October 13 at the DoubleTree Wilmington Downtown Hotel.

The awards program was developed to mirror the organization’s vision – optimal health and development for all children – as well as its mission of engaging communities in finding and promoting strategies to help children and families lead healthier lives. More than 20 nominations were received. The awards recognize one program based in Delaware and one program from outside of Delaware.

The awards selection process was based on three primary criteria: innovative program design, community collaboration, and effectiveness, i.e., potential to serve as a model program. Both winners received $5,000 to be used towards their programs and a glass sculpture recognizing their achievements.

Dare to Live Healthy, The Red Clay Way at Brandywine Springs Elementary School is aimed at reducing childhood overweight by using a family-based model to improve healthy eating habits, increase physical activity, decrease recreational “screen time” and enhance family communication. Activities have included open-gym nights giving families the opportunity to exercise during the winter months; a garden project allowing students to plant, maintain, harvest and eat a variety of vegetables; and nutrition education classes teaching students about food labels, portion sizes and the importance of physical activity.

The Child Asthma Link Line of Healthier Babies, Healthier Futures, Inc., has served children with asthma and asthma-like symptoms since 2002. Families of children enrolled in the program experienced decreased hospitalizations and emergency room visits, and demonstrated improvements in managing their child’s asthma and removing asthma triggers. They also reported improved quality of life as a result.

For information, go to www.Nemours.org/nhpsconf.

modified: Tuesday, January 08, 2008 @ 04:21 PM EST
created: Tuesday, January 08, 2008 @ 04:21 PM EST

About Nemours

Nemours, one of the nation’s largest pediatric health systems, is dedicated to achieving higher standards in children’s health. Nemours offers an integrated spectrum of clinical treatment coupled with research, advocacy, and educational health and prevention services extending to all families in the communities it serves. Starting with Alfred I. duPont’s bequest over seventy years ago, Nemours has grown into a multi-dimensional organization offering personalized clinical and preventive care focused on children.

Nemours owns and operates the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware and major children’s specialty clinics in Delaware (Wilmington), Florida (Jacksonville, Orlando and Pensacola), Pennsylvania (Philadelphia and Bryn Mawr) and New Jersey (Atlantic City and Voorhees). Having recently received preliminary approval from the State of Florida, Nemours will establish a new full-service children’s hospital as part of an integrated pediatric health campus in Orlando. KidsHealth.org, the world’s most visited pediatric health care Web site for parents, kids and teens, is a project of Nemours.

Nemours employs over 4,400 individuals, including 430 pediatric physicians, specialists and surgeons who cared for approximately a quarter of a million children in 2007. The organization’s goal is to align with parents, physicians, community leaders, children’s advocates and elected officials to ensure optimal wellness for every child. Additional information about Nemours can be found at www.nemours.org.