Hospital Honored for Rural Health Promotion
Award Commemorates Devoted OHA Associate

COLUMBUS – A small northeast Ohio hospital that has helped put its community on the map for wellness initiatives is the 2008 recipient of the David Hendershot Rural Health Promotion Award. Dunlap Community Hospital received the award today from the Ohio Hospital Association’s Foundation for Healthy Communities. 

The award was accepted by Rod Steiger, Dunlap president and CEO, during the Leadership Luncheon as part of the Ohio Hospital Association Annual Meeting at the Hilton Columbus at Easton. The award comes with a $1,000 check made possible by contributions to the charitable foundation in Hendershot’s memory.

A 25-bed critical access hospital in rural Orrville, Ohio, Dunlap Community Hospital’s wellness efforts are both internal and external. Half the hospital’s employees participate in its “Health Smart” program with financial incentives for achieving up to 13 wellness criteria, including regular exercise, healthy eating, stress management and adequate sleep. The voluntary program encourages employees to get and stay healthy, leading to a happier and more productive workforce for the hospital.

Outside the hospital, hundreds of local residents participate in walks, health fairs, a community weight loss challenge and other fitness events as part of its Growing Healthy Habits Community Coalition.  Andrew Naumoff, M.D., a hospital board member and local physician, started the Growing Healthy Habits program and worked with the hospital to form the coalition with local business and community leaders. The community wellness efforts have resulted in national network television exposure for Orrville as well as honors such as top-level Gold Award as a Health Community recognized by the Healthy Ohio program in the Ohio Department of Health.

One of Dunlap’s current wellness initiatives uses a 2007 grant from the Foundation for Healthy Communities to extend the Growing Healthy Habits program to 500 students and their families in the Orrville City School district to provide educational and motivational opportunities for fitness and nutrition. 

The award presented to Dunlap is named for David Hendershot, a field director for the Ohio Hospital Association more than 26 years before his death in October 2006.  Hendershot was a passionate supporter of Ohio’s small and rural hospitals and often worked with OHA’s Foundation for Healthy Communities to help provide support and resources to help those hospitals better serve their communities.

The Foundation presents the David Hendershot Rural Health Promotion Award annually to honor his work and maintain his passionate support of Ohio’s small and rural hospitals for the betterment of the communities they serve. 

Mary Lynne Zahler, manager of community health, wellness and education, noted in nominating her hospital for the Hendershot award, “Dunlap’s mission is to serve as the preferred source of family-centered care and wellness, so we strive to set an example, when it comes to wellness, for the entire community.”  She added, “Dunlap truly exemplifies how a small rural hospital can come together with the community to improve the health and wellbeing of all its citizens, young and old alike!”

The Foundation for Healthy Communities was established in 1994 and its mission is to advance good health for all Ohioans. It initiates and champions health improvement and education by engaging partners, promoting proven strategies and advocating for wellness. Learn more about the Foundation for Healthy Communities at www.HealthyCommunitiesOhio.org.

The Ohio Hospital Association was established in 1915 and currently represents 174 hospitals and 40 health systems throughout Ohio. OHA is a membership-driven organization that provides proactive leadership to create an environment in which Ohio hospitals are successful in serving their communities. Visit OHA at www.ohanet.org. 

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