Charles T. Frock, CEO of FirstHealth of the Carolinas, received an Individual Excellence award at the 10th Annual North Carolina Prevention Partners meeting and awards ceremony.

The North Carolina Prevention Partners (NCPP) awards honor North Carolina individuals and organizations with a strong dedication to improving the health of their community, workplace, school or home through prevention.

Awards are given in nine categories of prevention excellence including business, legislator, media, coalition, health organization, individual, school, preventive benefits and winner's circle healthy dining.

The awards ceremony was held June 3 at the Carolina Club in Chapel Hill with a keynote presentation from Jim Goodmon, president and CEO of Capitol Broadcasting Co.

Frock received the Individual Excellence award for his leadership in creating a comprehensive health-care network that provides state-of-the art patient care as well as services such as health and fitness, community screenings, school-based health centers and other preventive options not typically available to those living in rural regions.

"It is an honor to accept the Individual Excellence award," he said. "However, it is only through working together as a team that FirstHealth has been able to make a positive impact on the health of our community. I also applaud the efforts of our Community Health Services staff who work every day to promote the health and well-being of the residents of our community.

"This award supports the commitment behind our core purpose -- to care for people."

Frock was also recognized for spearheading the effort to make FirstHealth of the Carolinas one of the first hospitals in North Carolina 100 percent tobacco-free and to expand tobacco-cessation services to ensure readily available counseling and medicine.

FirstHealth of the Carolinas became a tobacco-free organization four years ago, but even before doing so began offering quit-tobacco classes to its employees, volunteers and their spouses as well as to community members and at work sites. Nearly 3,000 people have completed the FirstQuit quit-tobacco program, a regimen that offers personalized quit plans and group support to people who want to give up their tobacco habits.

"Over the past decade, we have fostered strong prevention policies through strategic planning and partnerships," said Dr. Meg Molloy, NCPP executive director, as she addressed those attending the awards ceremony. "With your help, we are leading North Carolina in the fight to reduce preventable illness and early death from tobacco use, poor nutrition, physical inactivity and obesity. I congratulate all of this year's winners and nominees on their hard work. We look forward to continuing our partnerships, and advancing health through prevention even more over the next decade."

Prevention Partners recognized all hospitals in North Carolina that went tobacco-free during the past year. Each received a 2008 Tobacco Free Trailblazers award.

NC Prevention Partners is a statewide nonprofit organization that develops programs to support good nutrition, physical activity and quitting tobacco. More information is available on its Web site, www.ncpreventionpartners.org.