Breaking Bipolar Wins a Web Health Award

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.

This 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.

Thank-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.