NC Prevention Partners' first Jim Long Policy Fellow is working to amend a federal law that would allow Veteran's Affairs medical centers to become 100% tobacco free campuses.

Eight representatives from the Virginia based hospital system toured Rex Healthcare's wellness facility and cafeteria.

Does the idea of changing your food and physical activity policies make your head spin?  Passing obesity prevention policies is not as hard as you think, but you want to make these changes thoughtfully. . . . 

Google has always led the nation with its innovative and creative ideas in business and technology, and now they are aiming to help make the workplace a healthier place with healthy eating initiatives.  WorkHealthy America recommends similar ideas and helps you create policies which will help sustain these initiatives. . . .

NC Prevention Partners' newly formed Policy Committee met for the first time on April 18, 2012.

You’ve done tremendous work to change your policies, rework your food environment, add new benefits, but maybe you feel like your employees are not engaged in wellness. Sometimes the solution is simple. . . .

NC Prevention Partners is proud to introduce Danielle Schramm as the first Jim Long Policy Fellow.

 We know that offering employees the highest quality of preventive care leads to improved health. But how can you work effectively with your insurers to make sure you’re benefits package meets the real needs of your employees?

Every June, NC Prevention Partners celebrates another amazing year of prevention at our Annual Meeting, celebrating the organizations across the state who have put prevention first, whether they are schools, hospitals, state agencies or private businesses. This year we want to celebrate YOUR progress with our Trailblazer and Gold Awards for WorkHealthy America participants. 

You may be asking yourself what is the best thing we can do to improve our health, what would have the biggest return on investment? EXERCISE!  Little things can help every employee get up and be more active.

  What a year of training we have for you!

 Thank you to the more than fifty hospitals in NC who have opted to renew their license to WorkHealthy America^SM! Starting in July, 2012, WorkHealthy America^SM will also map the progress of all subscribers, including state and local governments, schools, non-profits and private businesses.  Are you ready for the map? 

We have mapped hospital progress for five years, showing where hospitals are in their efforts to get A’s in Tobacco or Nutrition. We recently updated and automated those maps, and are now beginning the same initiative with all businesses in WorkHealthy America. In July, 2012, we will launch these NEW WorkHealthy maps, and recognize your success and progress. 

On December 13th, NC Prevention Partners hosted a WorkHealthy America^SM webinar and learned all about the success stories in worksite wellness in NC schools.

Peg O'Connel has been awarded the 2011 Dr. Robert Blackburn Award for Advocacy Excellence by the North Carolina American Heart Association Advocacy Coordinating Committee.

 by Anne Thornhill

Every day NC Prevention Partners is changing lives. WorkHealthy America is an integral part of helping us to meet our mission. We are grateful to you for your commitment to the wellness of your employees. Many of you are part of this community of learning through the generosity of sponsors.  If you would like to consider giving back and helping us to continue to work with others to push the highest bar of health and wellness. . . 

 by Anne Thornhill

This is a time of year for looking back on the year past, celebrating our accomplishments, and planning for the year moving forward. And setting resolutions, of course 

 NC Prevention Partners has recognized the Laurens County Health Care System as the first hospital in South Carolina to

 meet its Gold Apple standard.

 We are planning for 2012 and we need your input-- what types of web-based trainings do you want? Share your thoughts!

 WorkHealthy subscriber JPS is recognized as one of 2011 Best Accounting Firms to Work for. Think it has anything to do with their stellar wellness environment?

An upcoming webinar will examine how an educational campaign fits along with other efforts that hospitals are making to increase access and improve policies to motivate employees to be more physically active at work.  

Christus St. Francis Cabrini Hospital in Louisiana will implement the new policy July 1, 2012.

South East Area Health Education Center, Mountain Area Health Education Center, UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, and North Carolina Translational and Clinical Sciences (NC TraCS) Institute are partnering to bring the academies to Asheville and Wilmington in November.

 The assessment function of WorkHealthy America is the best way to get the most tailored and focused recommendations to help your organization promote the healthiest employees. 

 New tools and resources for maintaining a Culture of Wellness. 

Hospital workers in study were less likely to go the doctor, more likely to go to ER.

Dr. Okun joined national and local experts at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville on Friday, September 23rd. Physicians, physican assistants, nurse practitioners, and other health professionals gathered to learn more about how to optimize care for COPD patients.

Mission Hospital, Hugh Chatham Memorial Hospital, Broughton Hospital, Wake Forest Baptist Health, and Palmetto Health all convened at NC Prevention Partners' Prevention Academy in Asheville on September 22nd.

Get hands-on experience working in public health!

We welcome Michael Pierson from the CDC and Mark Bell from the North Carolina Hospital Association as presenters.

Senior Health Promotion Manager,  Melva Fager Okun, talks to WRAL about the new FDA health warning labels on cigarette packages.

NC Prevention Partners staff members met with the Director of Food and Nutrition this morning at the kick-off event at Carolinas Medical Center-Union.