LEWISBURG, WV (WOAY) – Three employees of West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine’s Center for Rural and Community Health accepted an award on behalf of Greenbrier County honoring collaborative efforts to improve the health of West Virginians.
Several school representatives traveled to Charleston last Tuesday to eceive the inaugural Healthy People Healthy Places Gold Award. Greenbrier County Sheriff Bruce Sloan was also part of the team that accepted the award.
The Healthy People Healthy Places program recognizes communities and leaders throughout the state who make a difference by implementing policies and programs that help West Virginians eat better, be more active and be tobacco free while making an impact on the state’s economy. The award is given by the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources Bureau for Public Health’s Division of Health Promotion and Chronic Disease (HPCD).
Sally Hurst, CRCH director of outreach programs, said the award is evidence that WVSOM and other entities within Greenbrier County are successfully working together to encourage residents to take better care of themselves.
“The spirit of collaboration is alive and well in Greenbrier County,” Hurst said. “We have so many resources here that promote health, and we can make the best use of those assets by working together… This award is recognition for the good work of so many partners across the county who engage in a shared vision for improving everyone’s health, especially the health of people in need.”
Greenbrier County and six other West Virginia communities received the Healthy People Healthy Places designation. The Department of Health and Human Resources established the program in an effort to help the state become a national leader and role model in building healthier communities.
“Our goal is to recognize good work going on in communities that truly supports health as a social and cultural norm,” said Jessica Wright, director of the HPCD.
