Ball State University’s Healthy Lifestyle Center (HLC) has been recognized for its dedication to the neighbors and communities it serves.
The Healthy Community Alliance of East Central Indiana (HCA), in its annual partner meeting, recently presented its “100,000 Award in Memory of Dr. George Branam” to the Healthy Lifestyle Center. The annual award is given to an organization that supports the work of the HCA through outstanding leadership, innovative collaborations, and an unwavering dedication to improving the health and well-being of the community.
“This award has special meaning for me personally, as I valued Dr. Branam as a personal mentor for many years and benefited immensely from his friendship and collegiality,” said Dr. Leonard Kaminsky, director of the Fisher Institute for Health and Well-Being at Ball State. “Speaking on behalf of our dedicated faculty, staff, and collaborators, we deeply appreciate this recognition and look forward to continued service to our fellow community members.”
The “100,000 Award” is named in honor of the late Dr. George Branam, a “steadfast champion of community health and wellness,” according to the HCA. The number 100,000 represents Dr. Branam’s lifetime miles completed to train for, and compete in, 66 running marathons.
“This year’s award winner is truly representative of our stated values to improve the health and well-being of the communities we serve,” said John Disher, Director of Community Outreach for IU Health’s East Central Region and Facilitator of the HCA. “The Healthy Lifestyle Center is truly a leading-edge collaborative initiative centered around the needs of each individual. The healthy lifestyle programming it provides has been extremely valuable to our 150 Healthy Community Alliance partners and the audiences they serve.”
Ball State’s Healthy Lifestyle Center, which has been in operation since 2018, strives to assist individuals in practicing healthy lifestyle behaviors to improve their personal health and well-being, which will result in improved health outcomes for the population of Delaware County.
The HLC provides education, services, and programming to the local community, while also utilizing the resources of Ball State’s College of Health to provide individual and group consultations from staff with expertise in nutrition, exercise science, health behavior change, social supportive services, fall prevention, and medicine.
The Healthy Lifestyle Center, which has received multiple grants from the Ball Brothers Foundation and other agencies, operates primarily from the Health Professions Building on the Ball State campus, but also provides support services at Meridian Health Services on Tillotson Avenue in Muncie.
For more information about the Healthy Lifestyle Center, call 765-285-1293, or email hlc765@bsu.edu.