ECU Health’s Blue Zones Partnership has been awarded the North Carolina Hospital Association’s 2024 Highsmith Award for Innovation. Named for Dr. John Highsmith, the first president of NCHA, this award is presented to a member institution or to an individual/team employed by an NCHA member institution in recognition of innovation that creates value for patients/consumers of healthcare.
ECU Health received the award July 18 at NCHA’s Summer Membership Meeting. Led by Dr. Christina Bowen, board certified in family medicine, lifestyle medicine and integrative medicine, and in partnership with the communities, this innovation shows ECU Health breaking down barriers to encourage healthier lifestyles, better health and longevity by partnering with Blue Zones.
“It is truly a blessing to accept this award on behalf of the teams at ECU Health who work tirelessly to live our mission of improving the health and well-being of eastern North Carolina,” said Dr. Bowen. “ECU Health has a vision to become the national model for academic rural health and wellness. Moments like this are a reflection of the progress we continue to make in pursuit of that vision.”
Blue Zones is a company founded by Dan Buettner, an internationally recognized researcher, explorer, and National Geographic fellow to implement new lifestyle choices to boost the health and well-being of entire communities by making lasting change in the places where people live, work, learn and play.
Together, ECU Health and Blue Zones champion a community-led well-being initiative that convenes key stakeholders and national well-being experts to introduce evidence-based programs and collaborate to bring about permanent changes to the environment, policy and social networks across eastern North Carolina.
The four Blue Zones initiatives implemented by ECU Health include the Team Member Blue Zones Challenge, Plant-Forward Meals, Wellness Center Blue Zones, and targeted initiatives in Bertie, Chowan and Dare County. ECU Health is prioritizing the community and engaging in partnerships with local foodbanks and churches to spread the word of the initiative – and make sure the community knows that healthy, plant-forward food is not only nutrient-dense, but also delicious.
Through their faith based partnerships, ECU Health has started a Blue Zones initiative with local pastors in the Pitt County area to bring these concepts of health and well-being to their congregations. The partnership has resulted in tremendous improvements and ECU Health will continue to partner with Blue Zones to implement strategies for holistic well-being.
ECU Health recognized the importance of having an executive leader with a sole focus on team member and clinician well-being, which is why Dr. Bowen was named their first Chief Well-being Officer. Dr. Bowen’s scope includes ECU Health’s lifestyle medicine clinics, wellness centers, and internal Employee Assistant Program.
These initiatives are just the beginning of the ECU Health mission-driven dream of their service area becoming environments that improve health and well-being.