Alexandria, VA, November 16, 2006 - The Better Hearing Institute (BHI) received recognition for their web site (www.betterhearing.org) at a special presentation in Atlanta on November 6 during the Tenth Annual Healthcare Internet Conference. Sites receiving the 2006 eHealthcare Leadership Awards were selected from more than 1,100 entries by a distinguished panel of experts in healthcare and the Internet. The BHI was one of four organizations to be recognized in the most competitive category of "Best Overall Website" for organizations focusing on consumer information on specific diseases, illnesses or conditions. Other winners within this category were pharmaceutical giant Merck (www.Merckhomeedition.com), ZLB Behring internationally recognized for their biotherapies for hemophilia and www.breastcancer.org.
"What's clearly evident this year is the number of outstanding sites," says Mark Gothberg, eHealthcare Leadership Awards chairman. "It was particularly difficult for judges to choose among competing sites, especially in such hotly contested categories as best health content, best design, and best overall site."
Winners represented 17 industry classifications, from hospitals and health systems to pharmaceutical firms and online health companies. Awards were given in 12 different categories: Best Site Design, Best Interactive, Best Health/Healthcare Content, Best e-Business, Best Care/Disease Management, Best Rich Media, Best Staff Recruitment, Best Quality Communication, Best Community Benefit Communication, Best Intranet Site, Best eHealth Organizational Commitment and Best Overall Internet Site.
The eHealthcare Leadership Awards program was developed and first presented seven years ago by eHealthcare Strategy & Trends, a leading Internet resource published by Health Care Communications, Rye, NY.
In receiving this award Sergei Kochkin, Ph.D. Executive Director expressed gratitude to the many people who contributed to its content, creative design and execution including Clarion Management Resources, the BHI's world-class Technical Advisory Council, and Matrix Group International (BHI's web design firm). "This award shows that our hearing health consumer education program is well-targeted to the general public. The Internet is an increasingly important tool for educating people about vital public health issues. We are delighted that eHealthcare experts have recognized our efforts to use digital communications to reach those who need to understand the consequences of untreated hearing loss and what can be done about it."
Founded in 1973, the Better Hearing Institute is a not-for-profit educational organization whose mission is to educate the public about hearing loss, its treatment and prevention.
To receive a free copy of our 28 page booklet "Your Guide to Better Hearing," visit our website at www.betterhearing.org or call the Better Hearing Institute hotline at 1-800-EAR-WELL.
