October 08, 2007 DHH Brings Home Three National Health Communication Awards

Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Oct 08, 2007 - The Department of Health won three awards from the National Public Health Information Coalition during the organization’s annual conference in Baltimore, Maryland last month.

In the category of news releases, the agency was recognized for the news it issued on the mortality rate in the Greater New Orleans area. 

The Louisiana Spirit Program, administered by the department’s Office of Mental Health, took home two awards for its campaign offering free crisis counseling services to hurricane survivors throughout the state.  The awards were for Louisiana Spirit’s informational services brochure and for the program’s radio marketing campaign.

“It’s an honor to have our efforts recognized on a national level like this,” said Roxane Townsend, Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals.  “For the rest of the country, the hurricanes of 2005 were an event that ended long ago, but for us the recovery will be ongoing for years to come.  We’ve worked hard to spread our message of healing and hope, and it’s a high compliment to have our peers in the public health communication world commend the job we’re doing.”

There were more than 200 entries submitted for 17 categories, and it took six judges almost 150 hours to conclude the judging process. 

The National Public Health Information Coalition was established 18 years ago as an organization designed to promote an awareness of public health issues among the nation’s citizens.  Members include local, state, and territorial health department communications specialists as well as communications partners from a variety of federal health agencies, nonprofit organizations and professional health services groups.  To learn more, visit www.nphic.org.