October 7, 2005

Dr. Kimberlydawn Wisdom, Michigan Surgeon General, received the Advocate of the Year Award from the Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health and the Community Health Warrior award from the Detroit Community Health Connection, Inc. on Thursday. Wisdom was honored for her leadership in promoting the health and wellbeing of women, children, and families, and her outstanding commitment to community health.

“I am pleased, yet humbled, to accept these awards,” Wisdom said. “Many have gone before me as warriors--fighting for health-related causes and providing the opportunity for me to pursue areas of service, research, and health care practice. I pledge my continued energy toward the vision that Michigan will become one of the healthiest states in the nation and that the most vulnerable populations will have the maximum opportunity to live a long, healthy, and productive life.”

Wisdom received the Advocate of the Year award at the 22nd Annual Meeting of the Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health in Grand Rapids. This broad-based coalition seeks to provide leadership for unified advocacy resulting in every mother and child in Michigan having fully supported access to resources that promote, protect and preserve healthy families. The Council chose to honor Wisdom specifically for her efforts to promote healthy lifestyles to the citizens of Michigan through her Michigan Steps Up campaign.

The Detroit Community Health Connection presented Wisdom with the Community Health Warrior award for her outstanding commitment to community health at the “Weaving a Tapestry of Hope” event in Detroit. The Detroit Community Health Connection, Inc. is a non-profit community based primary care organization committed to providing accessible, affordable, and quality service to all members of the communities it serves.

Wisdom released the Michigan Surgeon General’s Prescription for a Healthier Michigan in 2004. She launched the Michigan Steps Up statewide healthy lifestyles campaign in February 2004 and has been a leader in the Michigan’s efforts to prevent childhood lead poisoning and unintended pregnancies.

For more information about the Surgeon General and Michigan Steps Up, please visit www.michigan.gov/surgeongeneral. To learn more about the Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health, visit www.mcmch.org. For more information about the Detroit Community Health Connection, Inc., visit http://dchcquality.org.