Cincinnati - The Health Improvement Collaborative of Greater Cincinnati announces its 2005 award winners who will be recognized for their superior gifts of time, effort and endless dedication to the organization at its third annual award dinner on October 19 at the Hyatt Regency Cincinnati downtown.

The Volunteer Leadership Award is given to individuals who have donated significant time and energy to furthering the Collaborative mission. The 2005 recipients of this award are Nora Zorich, M.D., Ph.D., vice president of New Drug Development for Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals; A. David Jimenez, executive vice president, Catholic Healthcare Partners; and Paul A. Beckman, vice president, Southern Ohio Service Area, Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield.

The Friend of the Collaborative Award is given to individuals or organizations that have steadfastly supported of the Collaborative both in Greater Cincinnati and across the country. This year’s recipient is Ambassador Rob Portman.

The Collaborative Leadership Award is the Collaborative’s highest honor and it is not given every year. When given, it is presented to an individual who has provided extraordinary leadership, embraced the collaborative process and promoted the Collaborative as a model for other organizations. The 2005 Collaborative Leadership Award in 2005 will be given posthumously to Malcolm Adcock. Adcock, as Cincinnati’s Health Commissioner, was a staunch supporter of the Collaborative’s wor, as well as an advocate for the underserved.

Awards History

Volunteer Leadership Award

Friend of the Collaborative Award

Donald E. Hoffman, President, Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati

Nick Baird, MD, Director, Ohio Department of Health

Collaborative Leadership Award

L. Thomas Wilburn, Jr., Collaborative Board of Trustees Chairman

The awards will be presented in front of 500 of the Tristate’s community leaders: health professionals, community service agency executives, hospital trustees, business representatives, public health officials, educators and citizens who have an interest in community health. This year’s featured speaker will be Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. Gov. Huckabee is a leader in health care and education in his state and has received national attention for his recent life-changing weight loss and new commitment to living a healthier life. Gov. Huckabee has recently published his sixth book, Quit Digging Your Grave with a Knife and Fork, which gives people a 12- stop plan to start living a better, healthier life.

Proceeds from the dinner benefit the community health improvement initiatives sponsored by the Collaborative. These projects include diabetes education, early detection and treatment of depression, flu shots for at-risk adults, neighborhood-based efforts to reduce low birth weight, Healthy Living/ Healthy Weight initiative and the new Cincinnati MD Resource Center and its website CincinnatiMDjobs.com.

Presenting Sponsor: Catholic Healthcare Partners
Platinum Sponsors: Procter & Gamble and UnitedHealthcare
Program Sponsors: Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield and Pfizer
Invitations Sponsor: TriHealth

For more information regarding reservations or corporate sponsorships, contact Development Director Linda Wilfong at 513-531-0267.

Speaker History

The 2005 Award Dinner marks the third year for this event. Past speakers include actor and activist Christopher Reeve in 2003, who spoke on the theme “Nothing is Impossible” and addressed the importance of working together to improve community health; and actress Patty Duke, who spoke

about her life experiences with mental illness and the importance of removing the social stigma attached to depression and other mental illnesses.