Published on May 13, 2009

Adventist HealthCare Recognizes Partners for Healthy Communities

3rd Annual Community Partnership Award Honors Local Organizations for Contributions to Improving Accessibility and Affordability of Health Care

Rockville, Md. - Adventist HealthCare presented its 3rd Annual Community Partnership Award on May 11 to five community partners in honor of their contributions to improving the lives of individuals and the health of communities. The 2009 award was presented to Damascus Ecumenical Laymen's Association, Inc.; the Coalition of Central Prince George's County Community Organizations; the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA); LABQUEST and WTOP radio.

"The Community Partnership Award is an expression of gratitude to these organizations who have partnered with Adventist HealthCare in expanding access to care and building healthy communities," said William G. "Bill" Robertson, Adventist HealthCare President and Chief Executive Officer. "Each one of them has demonstrated a shared vision for improving the accessibility and affordability of health care, especially for the underserved.

Award Recipients

Damascus Ecumenical Laymen's Association, Inc., (DELAI) is a non-profit Christian ministry that works in collaboration with churches, government agencies and various organizations in the Damascus-Clarksburg area to provide emergency assistance, including financial assistance and social services, to families in crisis situations. The group, in partnership with Adventist HealthCare, also offers Healthy Choices, a program that helps women make better choices in their lives in the areas of parenting, nutrition and life management.

The Coalition of Central Prince George's County Community Organizations is a collective of civic groups and homeowner's associations. The coalition, in partnership with Washington Adventist Hospital in Takoma Park, Md., hosts monthly presentations on important health topics and health screenings for its members, who in turn educate the groups they represent to increase health awareness across Prince George's County.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) initiated a partnership this year with Washington Adventist Hospital to advance public health on a local and national scale through collaborative, cost-effective clinical research. Washington Adventist Hospital plans to relocate in 2013 from Takoma Park to a more accessible campus next to the FDA's campus in White Oak, which will allow for sharing of resources and staffing. The partnership will also work to address the issue of health disparities which Adventist HealthCare is currently working to address at a local level.

LABQUEST is a community group made up of eastern Montgomery County residents and members of federal, county and state agencies who came together with a common vision to build a vibrant community with science and health care as an integral foundation. The group proposed the transformation of the old Naval Ordnance Laboratory in White Oak into a new campus for the FDA and helped foster a partnership between the FDA and Washington Adventist Hospital.

WTOP is Washington's award-winning news radio station. WTOP helped promote public awareness about the importance of flu shots as a partner in Adventist HealthCare's 2008 "Take Your Shot for Health" flu campaign. The station's promotional support helped Washington Adventist Hospital and Shady Grove Adventist Hospital give away 400 free flu shots to the community, and provide other shots at an affordable price.

Photo Caption (left to right): Representing the honorees of the 2009 Adventist HealthCare Community Partnership Award are WTOP's Director of Community Public Affairs Melvin Chase, the Coalition of Central Prince George's County Community Organizations President Arthur Turner, DELAI's President Jill Ochs, and DELAI's Community Social Worker, Deborah Tomlinson. Also honored this year but not pictured are the FDA and LABQUEST.

Adventist HealthCare, an integrated, health-care delivery organization based in Rockville, Maryland, is one of the largest employers in the state of Maryland. The mission of Adventist HealthCare is to demonstrate God's care by improving the health of people and communities through a ministry of physical, mental and spiritual healing. Adventist HealthCare includes Shady Grove Adventist Hospital, Washington Adventist Hospital, Adventist HealthCare Behavioral Health Services, Adventist Rehabilitation Hospital of Maryland, Adventist Senior Living Services, Hackettstown Regional Medical Center, Adventist Home Health Services, the Reginald S. Lourie Center for Infants and Young Children, and LifeWork Strategies.