Located in the Mojave Desert in Southern California, Naval Hospital Twentynine Palms (NHTP) is known for its healthy lifestyle.
From the Joshua Tree National Park to local ski resorts, the opportunities for healthy recreation are limitless. Which may account for NHTP taking home the award that recognizes an organized approach to promoting healthy lifestyles, the Blue H Award, which the Navy hospital has triumphantly brought home for nine consecutive years.
It also doesn’t hurt to have a savvy public-health specialist who knows the area, has deep knowledge of social-services programs, and who leads a team of hospital and installation social services professionals who brainstorm every quarter to reach the greatest number of people to promote family advocacy programs. Tanya Stuckey, public health specialist in the Directorate for Public Health, is team leader and is directly responsible compiling and submitting the Blue-H Award submission.
According to Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center website: “The Blue-H Navy Surgeon General's Health Promotion and Wellness Award guides, encourages and rewards the promotion of health in Navy and Marine Corps organizations. This annual award is available at three levels: Bronze Anchor, Silver Eagle and Gold Star.”
“Any installation or hospital program that represents wellness does so with the intent to provide the best service to our community,” Stuckey said. “We meet once a quarter to discuss new developments, what’s going well, and to coordinate with partner programs to improve existing services. The committee is there to share feedback, look for ways to grow our programs and ultimately, support our community in creating and sustaining healthy lifestyle habits.”
“We work behind the scenes to ensure staff are trained appropriately and that they’re offering relevant information. We update and bring awareness to resources by reaching out to those we serve to ensure the programs are meeting their needs. This is the true embodiment of a holistic approach to health,” she said.
“This is the sixth year the team was led by Tanya Stuckey, whose passion for health promotion and commitment to our community is inspiring,” said Navy Lt. Cmdr. Nikki Pritchard, NHTP Public Health director. “I am extremely proud of her and the entire Health and Wellness Council for their hard work and devotion to promoting wellness across the command and installation.”
“This year is the ninth consecutive year of receiving the highest honor of the GOLD STAR for all three of our locations - Naval Hospital Twentynine Palms; Branch Health Clinic China Lake, located in Ridgecrest, California; and Branch Heath Clinic Bridgeport, located at the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center in Bridgeport, California,” added Stuckey.
“Despite the challenges of long physical distance between treatment facilities and the enduring crisis of COVID-19, our programs have persevered and shown determination in continuing world class service. Our programs have grown and proven themselves as flexible through new avenues such as virtual training and services,” Stuckey said.