Dr. Kimberlydawn Wisdom, Michigan Surgeon General, recognized 13 health care providers and organizations today for their outstanding performance in promoting healthy lifestyles and disease prevention. The recognition program is part of the Surgeon General’s Michigan Steps Up statewide healthy lifestyles campaign.

"Michigan’s high rates of obesity, tobacco use, and chronic disease contribute to needless disability and escalating health care expenses," said Wisdom. "I am proud of these thirteen health care providers and programs for stepping up to promote prevention and support patients in improving their health."

The purpose of the award program is to highlight individual practitioners, provider groups or health care organizations demonstrating outstanding performance related to disease prevention concepts, especially those topics targeted in the Michigan Steps Up campaign: physical activity, healthy eating, and a tobacco-free lifestyle. The award recipients include:

• Medical Network One (Rochester)
• Oakwood Healthcare System School-based Clinic (Wayne-Westland)
• Saint Joseph Mercy Health Exploration Station (Canton)
• Joel Bender, PhD, MD--General Motors Corporation (Pontiac)
• Borgess Corpfit--Borgess Medical Center (Kalamazoo)
• John Coumbe-Lilley MS, CSCS--Michigan Institute for Health Enhancement (Rochester)
• Paul Ehrmann, DO--Children’s Health Initiative Program (Royal Oak)
• Genesys Integrated Group Practice, P.C. (Flint)
• Health Alliance Plan Weight Wise Program (Southfield)
• Henry Ford Health System and Health Alliance Plan (Detroit)
• Prasad Kommareddi, MD—Genesys Health System (Flint)
• Stacy Leatherwood, MD--Healthy Body/Healthy Mind, Henry Ford Health System (Detroit)
• Wendy Miller, MD--Beaumont Hospital Healthy Kids Program (Royal Oak)

Additional information about each recipient is attached.

The health care recognition ceremony was held during a meeting of more than 300 Michigan Steps Up stakeholders representing healthcare, business, school, faith-based, and community sectors.

The health care recognition program was created by the Michigan Steps Up Healthcare Stakeholder Workgroup, which formed in June 2004 and is led by Marlene Hulteen of the Michigan Health and Hospital Association and Kevin Kelly of the Michigan State Medical Society.

In her Prescription for a Healthier Michigan, Wisdom called on health care providers, institutions, organizations, and public health agencies to provide prevention services for all patients, including health promotion and early detection, to educate and support patients in maintaining health and self-management of diseases, and to play a substantial and sustained role in community efforts to advance or promote healthy lifestyles. The Michigan Surgeon General's Prescription for a Healthier Michigan is available online at www.michigan.gov/mdch.

For more information about Michigan Steps Up, visit www.michiganstepsup.org.