Smart Bodies, the educational program developed by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation and the LSU AgCenter to fight childhood obesity, was recognized Oct. 6 for its innovativeness and success as a 2008 winner of the BlueWorks® program. BlueWorks is a unique collaboration between the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) and the Harvard Medical School Department of Health Care Policy, honoring innovation in successful approaches to improving health and wellness for members and consumers.
Through the BlueWorks program, Harvard researchers evaluate and select Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies’ local programs for recognition based on their innovation, efficacy, robust design and potential for replication. Since the inception of BlueWorks in 2004, Harvard has recognized 43 Blue Cross and Blue Shield programs for their groundbreaking work to promote health and wellness and enable consumers to better manage their healthcare choices.
“Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana should be applauded for its efforts to improve the quality of healthcare for consumers,” said Scott P. Serota, BCBSA president and CEO. “Smart Bodies is a prime example of the great work that Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies are doing to drive health and wellness and make navigating healthcare choices easier for consumers.”
The goal of the Smart Bodies program is to promote lifelong healthy eating patterns and a physically active lifestyle to children in Louisiana and their families. The three-part program combines classroom activities with hands-on learning and physical activity to:
- increase children’s basic knowledge of nutrition
- improve their understanding of the importance of physical activity
- increase the time they spend in physical activity
- increase their intake of fruits and vegetables
- teach children about the body’s digestive system
BCBSLA has supported Smart Bodies since 2005, when it helped launch the program with a five-year grant. By the end of 2007, Smart Bodies had been implemented in 52 of Louisiana’s 64 parishes, with the goal to reach every parish by the end of 2009.
The LSU AgCenter has reported several positive results, including increases in participating children’s knowledge about and willingness to consume fruits and vegetables, increased knowledge of physical activity and increased likelihood to be physically active during their participation in the Smart Bodies activities. More information about the program, including more detailed research results, is on the web at www.smartbodies.org.
According to Harvard Medical School’s Department of Health Care Policy, each BlueWorks program promotes a better understanding of the issue at hand and improves the effectiveness of healthcare for the consumer and the healthcare system as a whole. With 1 in 3 school-aged children in Louisiana reported as overweight, the Smart Bodies program exemplifies how Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is responding to a current healthcare need with an original program that is showing remarkable impact.
“The Smart Bodies program is an outstanding example of our company’s ability and willingness to form partnerships with other healthcare stakeholders for the benefit of the communities we serve,” said Christy Reeves, director of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation. “Smart Bodies has truly been a worthwhile investment for Blue Cross that demonstrates our commitment to the health of all Louisianians and our vision for a healthy future for our state.”
The other BlueWorks programs that were recognized for their innovation and success were:
- Caring Program: Care Coordination for Children with Special Health Care Needs (Highmark Blue Shield’s Caring Foundation, Pennsylvania)
- Applications of Indirect Estimation of Race/Ethnicity Data in Health Plan Activities (Anthem Blue Cross, California)
- Enhancing Statin Therapy Efficiency (Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas)
BlueWorks programs are helping to improve healthcare quality, value and access while enabling consumers to become more engaged in their health and wellness. For more information about all of the Harvard-recognized programs that have been awarded the BlueWorks distinction, please visit www.bcbs.com/innovations/blueworks.
About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is Louisiana-owned and -operated. Marking its 75th anniversary in 2009, the company is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. It is a tax-paying mutual company, owned by its policyholders. Headquartered in Baton Rouge, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana also has district offices in Alexandria, Houma, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Monroe, New Orleans and Shreveport. The company’s subsidiaries include HMO Louisiana, Inc. and Southern National Life Insurance Company, Inc.
About the LSU AgCenter
The LSU AgCenter focuses on providing all Louisiana citizens with innovations, information and education on such topics as lawns and gardens, crops and livestock, family and home, money and business, community matters, food and health, environment and natural resources and kids and teens. It operates a network of extension offices and research stations across Louisiana. For more information, visit the AgCenter’s website at www.lsuagcenter.com.
About the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association
The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association is a national federation of 39 independent, community-based and locally operated Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies that collectively provide healthcare coverage for more than 102 million individuals — 1 in 3 Americans. For more information on the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and its member companies, please visit www.BCBS.com.
