Highmark Foundation Extends Subsidy for Health eTools for Schools(R) through 2013

Highmark Foundation Extends Subsidy for Health eTools for Schools(R) through
2013
Award-winning online program helps schools better comply with federal and
state health requirements, and address serious student health issues

LANCASTER, Pa., Sept. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- For the first time in modern
history, our children's life expectancy could be lower than our own. The
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that since the
mid-seventies the prevalence of overweight and obesity has increased sharply
for both adults and children. Since 1980, the percentage of children aged six
to 11 who are at risk for being overweight has doubled, and the percentage of
overweight adolescents aged 12 to 19 has tripled.
The Highmark Foundation announced today that through Highmark Healthy High
5, a $100 million, five-year children's health promotion initiative, it has
extended its subsidy program allowing schools in 49 Pennsylvania counties to
participate in the Highmark Healthy High 5 Health eTools for Schools program
at no cost through August 31, 2013.
The Health eTools for Schools program is available to area public,
private, parochial, and charter schools. Originally set to expire on September
1, 2009, the extended subsidy allows schools representing a student population
of more than 400,000 students free access to this award-winning program,
making it easier for students to eat healthier and become more physically
active.
"We hope that as many schools as possible take advantage of the
opportunity to participate in Health eTools for Schools through the Foundation
subsidy," said Yvonne Cook, president of the Highmark Foundation. "By
educating young people early in life about the benefits of healthy eating
habits and an active lifestyle, those behaviors will stay with them, helping
to assure they become healthier adults. That is why the Highmark Foundation
sought to create a school-based program that provided much-needed resources to
schools. The goal of Highmark Healthy High 5 is to make sure children have an
opportunity to learn ways they can take action to be healthy and to positively
influence others, including their parents."
InnerLink, which uses a collaborative approach to help schools reverse the
current health crisis in their communities, was contracted by Highmark
Foundation to develop Health eTools for Schools and provides technical support
to schools who adopt the program. Recently honored with the 2007 Silver World
Wide Web Health Award for the best online health information, this innovative
solution includes online tools that help school nurses, health and physical
educators, food service professionals, and administrators address the factors
that can lead to childhood obesity in a coordinated and systemic way. For more
information on the award, visit
www.healthawards.com/wwwha/fw2007winners/hp_portal.htm.
The program allows schools to evaluate themselves against best practices,
and enables them to prioritize and implement a plan through policy, practice,
and curriculum. The Highmark Foundation funding helps reduce limitations
schools face in acquiring resources, like Health eTools for Schools, to
implement programs to help students make healthy choices.
"We are pleased by the vote of confidence that this contract extension
implies. Since its launch in September 2006, Health eTools has been rapidly
embraced across Pennsylvania and is presently helping more than 400,000
students in this region learn how to adopt healthy lifestyles for a lifetime,"
said Martha L. Harris, vice president of Coordinated School Health Solutions
at InnerLink. "As individual students learn to become health literate, they
inform their parents on ways to stay healthy, generating communities of
wellness."
"I have been very impressed with the capabilities of Health eTools for
Schools to help my district implement the goals and objectives of our wellness
policy," said Greg Gray, wellness coordinator at Northern Lebanon School
District. "The communication and information sharing tools in Health eTools
enable our wellness team to collaborate on a daily basis. The school nurses
use their eTools to capture and report BMI to all parents, using the state
approved templates. The curriculum materials provided through Health eTools
have enriched our nutrition and physical education programs."
For more information about how schools can register for the Highmark
Healthy High 5 Health eTools for Schools program, visit
www.healthetoolsforschools.org or call toll free (866) 522-5487.
About InnerLink, Inc.
Headquartered in Lancaster, PA, InnerLink creates innovative and
sustainable health intervention programs for schools (K-12) that assist
students to make good choices in health and safety. The company's mission is
to empower individuals with knowledge and motivation to choose healthier,
safer lifestyles through education, collaboration, data sharing, and community
involvement. For more information, visit www.TheInnerLink.com
About the Highmark Foundation
The Highmark Foundation is an affiliate of Highmark Inc. and was created
to support initiatives and programs aimed to improve community health. The
Foundation is a charitable organization and a private foundation. The
Foundation seeks to improve the health, well-being and quality of life for
individuals who reside in the 49 Pennsylvania counties served by Highmark.
About Highmark Healthy High 5
Highmark Healthy High 5 is a five-year, $100 million children's health
promotion initiative of the Highmark Foundation. The mission of the initiative
is to improve the health of children and adolescents ages 6-18 by providing
them with the tools and practices needed to make informed decisions about
living healthier lives. Highmark Healthy High 5 addresses five critical
children's health promotion issues - nutrition, physical activity, self-
esteem, grieving, and bullying prevention - by raising awareness, changing
behavior through grants and programs, and providing resources to parents,
schools and communities served by the Highmark Foundation. Highmark Healthy
High 5 is an initiative of the Highmark Foundation. For more information,
visit www.highmarkhealthyhigh5.org.
Highmark Healthy High 5 Health eTools for Schools enrollment as of August
31, 2008:
Adams County: Bermudian Springs, Littlestown Area, Upper Adams
Allegheny County: Avonworth, Bethel Park, Bishop Leonard-St. Mary of the
Mount, Brentwood Borough, Brookline Regional Catholic, Cardinal Wright
Regional, Career Connections Charter School, Christ the Divine Teacher
Catholic, Deer Lakes, Fox Chapel Area, Highlands, Holy Rosary, Holy Spirit
Parish School, Mount Alvernia High School, Montour, Moon Area School District,
Oakland Catholic High School, Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament, PA
Learners Online Charter School, Penn Hills, Pine-Richland, Pittsburgh Public
Schools, Plum Borough, Quaker Valley, Riverview, Sacred Heart School,
Shadyside Academy School District, Shaler Area, Spectrum Charter, St. Agnes
(West Mifflin), St. Agnes (Oakland), St. Bartholomew, St. Bonaventure, St.
James, St. John Neumann Regional, St. Malachy, St. Mary's, St. Sylvester, West
Mifflin Area
Beaver County: Beaver Area, Center Area, Rochester Area

Bedford County: Bedford Area, Tussey Mountain

Berks County: Boyertown Area, Brandywine Heights Area, Conrad Weiser,
Governor Mifflin, Hamburg Area, John Paul II Center
Blair County: Altoona Area, Altoona-Johnstown Diocese, Bellwood Antis,
Claysburg-Kimmel (Blair/Bedford), Spring Cove, Tyrone Area
Butler County: Slippery Rock Area
Cambria County: Central Cambria, Conemaugh Valley, Ferndale Area, Forest
Hills, Greater Johnstown, Westmont Hilltop
Centre County: Bald Eagle Area, Bellefonte Area, Nittany Valley Charter
School, Penns Valley Area, Young Scholars of Central PA Charter School
Crawford County: Crawford Central

Clarion County: Keystone, Union

Columbia County: Southern Columbia

Cumberland County: Capital Area IU 15, Mechanicsburg Area, Shippensburg,
St. Joseph School
Dauphin County: Halifax, Harrisburg, Infinity Charter, Steelton Highspire

Erie County: City of Erie, Corry School District

Fayette County: Brownsville Area, Uniontown Area

Franklin County: Chambersburg School District

Fulton County: Central Fulton, Forbes Road, Southern Fulton

Greene County: Carmichaels Area, Central Greene, Jefferson Morgan

Huntingdon County: Juniata Valley, Mount Union Area, Southern Huntingdon
County
Indiana County: Blairsville-Saltsburg, Marion Center Area

Juniata County: Juniata County

Lancaster County: Conestoga Valley, Elizabethtown Area, Hempfield,
Lampeter-Strasburg, Lancaster Christian, School District of Lancaster,
Solanco, Warwick
Lawrence County: Ellwood City Area, Holy Redeemer, Mohawk Area
Lebanon County: Annville-Cleona, Eastern Lebanon, Northern Lebanon,
Palmyra Area
Lehigh County: Northern Lehigh, Northwestern Lehigh, Catasaqua

Mercer County: Sharpsville Area

Mifflin County: Mifflin County School District

Montour County: Danville Area

Northampton County: Bangor, Easton Area, Northampton Area, St. Jane
Frances, Wilson Area
Northumberland County: Milton Area, Mount Carmel Area, Shamokin Area,
Shikellamy
Perry County: Newport, West Perry
Potter County: Austin Area, Coudersport Area, Galeton Area, Northern
Potter, Oswayo Valley
Schuylkill County: Academy of Blessed Virgin Mary, All Saints School, Blue
Mountain, Mahanoy Area, Minersville Area, Pine Grove Area, Pottsville Area,
Schuylkill Haven Area, Shenandoah Valley, St. Ambrose, St. Clair Area, St.
Joseph Center for Special Learning, St. Stephen Regional
Union County: Lewisburg Area

Venango County: Franklin Area, Titusville Area

Washington County: California Area, Canon McMilan, Peters Township, St.
Patrick's
Westmoreland County: Belle Vernon, Franklin Regional, Kiski Area, Mount
Pleasant, New Kensington-Arnold, PennTrafford
York County: Red Lion Area, School District of the City of York
SOURCE InnerLink, Inc.

Cathy Hoffman of InnerLink, +1-717-381-4282, choffman@theinnerlink.com or
Kimberly Scanish of Highmark Inc., +1-717-302-4244,
kimberly.scanish@highmark.com