AWARD FOR ATWT!

On September 28, 2006 in Los Angeles, CA, Hollywood, Health & Society, a partnership of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Cancer Institute (NCI), and the USC Annenberg School's Norman Lear Center announced the winners of the seventh annual Sentinel for Health Awards.

The winning storylines tackled prominent medical and ethical health issues, such as cancer and genetics, availability of organs for transplantation, and the difficulty of managing diabetes.

"The Sentinel for Health Awards allow us to applaud the creative works of daytime and primetime writers and producers who make the extra effort to help inform their viewers by telling accurate stories," said Martin Kaplan, associate dean of the USC Annenberg School for Communication and director of the Norman Lear Center. "This is a chance to recognize the crucial role they play in educating and entertaining television audiences."

As the World Turns took first place in the daytime drama category for our storyline about Lucinda's breast cancer diagnosis and treatment.

First-round judging was conducted by more than 100 topic experts who evaluated accuracy of health depictions. Eleven expert panels participated in this activity at the CDC and NCI. The thirteen finalists were then evaluated at USC by an expert panel representing entertainment, academic and public health organizations. Second-round judges scored finalists
on entertainment value and potential benefit to the viewing audience.

The Sentinel for Health Award was established in 2000 and previously recognized six daytime drama storylines as winners:

"Viki's Breast Cancer," One Life to Live (ABC, 2000)
"Raul's Diabetes," The Young and The Restless (CBS, 2001)
"Tony's HIV," The Bold and The Beautiful (CBS, 2002)
"Neil's Alcoholism," The Young and The Restless (CBS, 2003)
"Lily and Kevin: The Danger Within," The Young & The Restless (CBS, 2004)
"Autism Spectrum Disorder Storyline," All My Children (ABC, 2005).

This is PGP's first regular Sentinel for Health Award, although here is a fun fact:

Back in 1962, when GL's Bert Bauer went off for her first Pap smear in years and was faced with the possibility of cervical cancer, then Headwriter Agnes Nixon recalled, "We got letters from all over. A few said that their own check-ups had saved their lives. My own obstetrician said he had a half dozen patients he hadn't seen in years. He asked why they came back. And it was because of GL."

In honor of what is considered daytime's first medical, social issue story for women, Agnes Nixon received a special Sentinel for Health Award in 2002.