Locally Produced Health Series Nominated for Emmy in its ...( HARRISBURG Pa. Sept. 14 /- The lo...),Health

HARRISBURG, Pa., Sept. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- The locally developed and produced HealthSmart television series has been nominated for a Mid-Atlantic Emmy Award in its very first year on the air. The idea for the program was conceived by Capital BlueCross, the area's largest health insurer, as an innovative way to educate the community on timely and relevant health issues and illness prevention. Capital BlueCross partnered with WITF-TV, who produces and broadcasts the series from their new public media center in Harrisburg, Pa.

The series of half-hour health shows feature stories from real patients and survivors as well as advice from subject matter experts. HealthSmart is nominated in the Health/Science Program category.

"Helping people to understand and eventually achieve the benefits of healthy lifestyles is so important to us that we wanted to find a new and effective way to bring that message to the community," said Anita M. Smith, president & CEO of Capital BlueCross. "The creative staff at WITF did a great job at helping us bring this idea to life. The fact that a program which is focused on healthy living can win an Emmy nomination in its first year of broadcast is a remarkable achievement and a testament to its value."

"Kudos to Capital BlueCross for coming up with such a great idea and to HealthSmart's production team for excellent execution. This series is having an impact on the lives of our viewers," said Cara Williams Fry, executive producer.

To date, the HealthSmart series has focused on child obesity, the avian flu and influenza prevention, heart disease, preventative maintenance, sleep and exercise. The next series installment will be on stress and premieres on WITF-TV Sept. 19 at 8 p.m. All six topics are available to Capital BlueCross customers on DVD.

The Emmy Awards ceremony will be held in Philadelphia on Saturday, Sept. 15. Individuals nominated are Maria Petrilak -- Host/Producer, Mitch Mathias -- Editor/Associ
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