Naval Health Clinic Cherry Point (NHCCP) has once again earned the Navy Surgeon General’s Blue H Award for Health Promotion and Wellness.

The Blue-H Health Award program guides, encourages and rewards the promotion of health in Navy and Marine Corps organizations.

The award is available at three levels: Bronze Anchor, Silver Eagle and Gold Star. This is NHCCP’s ninth consecutive year earning the Blue H award and of those nine, the first was the Silver Eagle and the last eight have been Gold Stars.

“This is a noteworthy achievement since it’s the contributions of everyone at the command providing supporting data for more than 137 criteria to achieve this award," said NHCCP Commanding Officer, Capt. Douglas Stephens. "Staff from throughout the clinic are involved in health awareness efforts through their participation in health fairs, classes, running shoe clinics, committee meetings and 5K races. Our front line corpsmen screen each of our patients for alcohol, tobacco and weight issues. Even staff not directly involved in patient care contributed by completing the staff health risk assessment and interest surveys which guide our internal health promotion and wellness efforts. This is truly a command collaboration award.”

Stephens went on to recognize NHCCP’s entire Public Health directorate staff to include Wellness Department Head Lt. Cmdr. Beverly Torres, and Health Promotions Coordinator and Tobacco Cessation Facilitator Paula Pendrick, for their determination in driving the Blue H program forward.

The 137 different criteria that must be met in order to earn the Blue H are broken down into 11 sub categories which include healthy eating, active living, reproductive and sexual health, tobacco free living and weight management. To achieve a Gold Star level award, a Medical command must accumulate at least 50 percent of the total available points for every category and topic and must earn a minimum of 80 percent of the total available points.  For 2018, NHCCP earned 85 percent of total points. 

NHCCP’s Director, Public Health Services, Cmdr. Alana Huber added, “Being healthy and fit shouldn’t be a fad or trend. It’s a lifestyle. Here at NHCCP, our staff offers the very best tools to help patients and staff achieve their healthy living goals.”

Named after Medal of Honor recipient, Pharmacist's Mate 2nd Class William D. Halyburton, Naval Health Clinic Cherry Point provides high-quality patient care to more than 30,000 active-duty members and Department of Defense beneficiaries. In addition to outpatient surgical services, NHCCP offers Medical Home Port (including family care and pediatrics), internal medicine, orthopedics, physical therapy, behavioral health, pharmacy services, preventive medicine, aviation medicine and radiology to include MRIs.

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