Tanner Health System’s Get Healthy, Live Well has been recognized for its work to help improve the health of youth in west Georgia.
Get Healthy, Live Well earned the Community Innovation Award at the inaugural Healthy Georgia Awards ceremony, held Monday, Oct. 10, at the College Football Hall of Fame in downtown Atlanta. The Office of Lt. Governor Casey Cagle, Georgia Shape and the Georgia Department of Public Health have teamed up to recognize the state’s top wellness ambassadors across non-profits, municipalities and school districts.
The Healthy Georgia Awards are designed to recognize organizations that deliver extraordinary results promoting health and wellness among Georgia’s youth. Nine organizations across Georgia — including non-profits, municipalities and school districts — were recognized at the Oct. 10 ceremony. Three awards — Innovation, All Star and Legacy — were presented across each of the sectors.
“Inactivity and poor nutrition has contributed to an increased number of youth who are experiencing unhealthy weight gain,” said Denise Taylor, senior vice president and chief community health and brand officer for Tanner. “We are combating that by working with local schools to make healthier environments for youth in west Georgia.”
Get Healthy, Live Well has implemented several initiatives designed to teach youth about the importance of leading healthy lifestyles in a fun and exciting way. Those initiatives include an interactive traveling kids exhibit for kids ages 6 to 12, as well as the Power of Produce (POP) Club, a nationally recognized program to empower kids to make healthy food choices. Get Healthy, Live Well also partnered with parents of school-age children and administrators of Carrollton City Schools to make it safer for kids to bike and walk to school through the Safe Routes to School initiative.
Other initiatives include “Eat a Rainbow,” an educational play that shows kids how eating healthy can be fun, and Cooking Matters, an evidence-based program that teaches low-income residents how to prepare healthy foods at home. Get Healthy, Live Well also launched the “Don’t Be a Bonehead” campaign as part of its efforts to reduce exposure to secondhand smoke and cut tobacco use among youth.
“With the help of our partners, Get Healthy, Live Well has made great strides in our efforts to improve the health of youth across west Georgia,” said Taylor. “We remain committed to finding fun and innovative ways to teach youth how to make healthier choices.”
Cagle congratulated the award winners and all the organizations that applied for their exceptional work.
“It was a tremendous honor to recognize the great people, teams and organizations in our state who so effectively advocate healthy lifestyles among our future generations,” he said.
Brenda Fitzgerald, MD, commissioner of the state Department of Public Health, commended the winners and other organizations around the state that are helping change the lives of countless children.
“The health of our children is improving as evidenced by positive change in body mass index each year over the last three years,” said Dr. Fitzgerald. “Tanner Health System’s Get Healthy, Live Well is one example of the collective effort to fight obesity and promote health and wellness among our Georgia children and families.”
For more information about Get Healthy, Live Well, visit www.GetHealthyLiveWell.org.