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Breaking Bipolar Wins a Web Health Award

November 8, 2010 Natasha Tracy

Normally I try to grab the reader's attention in the first few lines of the piece so that you'll want to read the rest. Something snappy, touching or pithy. Normally I try to make sure it's an interesting subject. Usually I try to provide some sort of universal appeal to the piece or at least a good quip.

But today, quite frankly, I'm talking about me.

Winning Blogging Awards

I've been writing on mental health topics for seven years and in that time have won quite a few awards. My own blog, not affiliated with any group, is often on top ten lists for bipolar blogs. I'm always honored to be there as there are many fine writers in the field.

2010_WHA_Winner_EditableThis is my first award for Breaking Bipolar and it's a doozy. I have won a bronze Web Health Award in the blog category. The reason this makes me smile from ear to, well, the ear of whomever is beside me, is because most of the winners of these awards are corporations, not people. Other blog winners include:

  • Analyte Media
  • Baylor Health Care System
  • HealthEd Group Inc.
  • Pixels and Pills
  • RH Reality Check
  • University of Maryland Medical Center
  • WebMD

Honestly, that is quite the list on which to be included.

The Web Health Awards

Here's a bit about the award:

Now in its 12th year, the goal of the Web Health Awards... is to recognize high-quality electronic health information. The awards program is organized by the Health Information Resource Center[sm] (HIRC), a national clearinghouse for professionals who work in consumer health fields.

Judging Criteria

Web Health Awards judge on the following criteria (I condensed the criteria somewhat, full Web Health Award judging criteria here):

General Criteria

  • Is the health information presented credible/informative? Are appropriate sources cited?
  • Is the health information presented complete?
  • Is the content publisher clearly identified?
  • Is it easy to send comments/questions/feedback to the online source?
  • Do the online visuals/graphics/videos support the content?
  • Does to online resource indicate the last time the content was updated?

Overall Assessment

  • Quality, accuracy and timeliness of online content presented
  • Relevance / reading level of online information for the target audience.
  • Overall assessment of site layout and ease of use.
  • Would this online resource be something that the targeted audience would bookmark for frequent review?
  • Does the online resource offer enough interactivity for the targeted audience?

Some of these criteria HealthyPlace can take credit for entirely, as they control content presentation, obviously. (And check out the other two Web Health awards HealthyPlace received, those are no small feats either.)

Web Health Award Judges

The Web Health Award judges themselves are doctors, nurses, professors, directors, presidents and all manner of other folk whom I feel honored in knowing they have read my writing.

girl_with_flowersThank-You!

This award wouldn't have been possible without the people here at HealthyPlace believing in me enough to enter me. HealthyPlace has always been very kind, easy-to-work-with, supportive and has a broad editorial policy that allows me to talk about pretty much anything I want; and people who know me know how dangerous that can be.

And of course, thanks to my readers - without you, there would be no point in my work. I spend hours on each post and I do it because I believe in producing quality material and it's your responses that keep me going. I get so much from all of you.

Talking About Awards is Self-Congratulatory

There is no doubt that this is self-congratulatory on my part. If that turns you off, well, sorry about that. But honestly I put my heart and soul into this stuff. I've researched bipolar disorder for years and I write about topics that most people wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole. I write about things that I know some people aren't going to like and I say things that many people would prefer be left unsaid. And that's OK, it's who I am.

And what this award says to me is that those things matter. This award tells me that in some small way I am making a difference. And yes, I absolutely congratulate myself for that.

You can find Natasha Tracy on Facebook or @Natasha_Tracy on Twitter.

APA Reference
Tracy, N. (2010, November 8). Breaking Bipolar Wins a Web Health Award, HealthyPlace. Retrieved on 2024, March 28 from https://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/breakingbipolar/2010/11/breaking-bipolar-wins-a-web-health-award



Author: Natasha Tracy

Natasha Tracy is a renowned speaker, award-winning advocate, and author of Lost Marbles: Insights into My Life with Depression & Bipolar. She's also the host of the podcast Snap Out of It! The Mental Illness in the Workplace Podcast.

Find Natasha Tracy on her blog, Bipolar BurbleTwitter, InstagramFacebook, and YouTube.

Natasha Tracy
November, 14 2010 at 10:36 am

Thanks for the good wishes all. I appreciate it.
- Natasha

Chris Wells
November, 12 2010 at 9:29 am

Congratulations!! This is a huge deal and you deserve it!

Ash
November, 10 2010 at 5:17 pm

AWESOME! Congrats, you deserve it!

Natasha Tracy
November, 9 2010 at 1:10 pm

Hi Bretta,
You are welcome! Thank-you. I'm glad to know you feel like this writing expresses your experiences.
Good luck with your new challenges. It puts you along side many of us.
- Natasha

Natasha Tracy
November, 9 2010 at 1:07 pm

Hi Glen,
Thanks.
I do think that the lessons I've learned and what I have to say crosses diagnostic boundaries. We're all parts of the same family. Or heads on the same hydra. It's tough to tell.
I'm glad my writing is speaking to you too.
- Natasha

Natasha Tracy
November, 9 2010 at 1:05 pm

Thanks Holly. I think you do speak for people too.
- Natasha

Brettac
November, 9 2010 at 4:18 am

Natasha,
Congratulations! You rock! Thank you for your labors and your honest well researched blog. I hope the award gets the article into the hands of the "well-meaning" folks whose compassion bleeds into cruelty.
Bretta C
p.s. I found your blog yesterday. You describe the core experience of life with/within bipolar so clearly. I wish I had read you when I was diagnosed years ago. My long period of remission has gone, and I am in phase of stumbling through life, trying to restructure (meds, schedule, etc.).

Glen
November, 8 2010 at 4:30 pm

Congratulations, Natasha.
And I'm glad you gave yourself "a pat on the back", because you deserve it!
Too often those of us suffering from mental health issues spend time doing the exact opposite; so good for you.
=)
And BTW, even though your main focus is on Bipolar, I've found that many of your articles have insights and wisdom equally applicable to many other disorders, and they've been helpful to many of us suffering from other issues.
Thanks!

Holly Gray
November, 8 2010 at 1:35 pm

Impressive and inspiring.
I'd say self-congratulations is most definitely in order. This is nothing to sneeze at! And I love what you said in the press release:
"Breaking Bipolar is about giving a voice to all the people who cannot express for themselves what mental illness does to them."
As a fellow mental health writer, reading that reminded me of my purpose in blogging about DID. Thank you.
Congratulations, Natasha.

Patricia
November, 8 2010 at 12:52 pm

Great job!

Marcela
November, 8 2010 at 11:58 am

Congratulations!

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