As many of you know, the Minnesota Prevention Resource Center and Impact! have been managed by the nonprofit Minnesota Institute of Public Health (MIPH) for the past 15 years. MIPH is changing-being enhanced-by enlargement of its board, to include members of the nonprofit BlueCross BlueShield of Minnesota (BlueCross).

About a year ago, the MIPH Board decided that one of the best things happening in the area of health promotion was the emerging support from health plans. A number of organizations that provide health plan products began to focus on improving health by changing individual behavior choices. We were getting a whole new, wonderful group of allies for our health promotion efforts. Because of this, we made a decision to work even more closely with the state's health plans and to enlarge our board to include strong representation in that area. We are working with several plans but especially BlueCross. For over 60 years, BlueCross has been part of Minnesota's continuum of health care. They've been great work partners, taking a powerful leadership role in tobacco use issues and making a long-term commitment to help all Minnesotans live healthier, safer lives.

MIPH will remain an independent nonprofit, while working more strongly with BlueCross and other health plans. Our mission will not change but our ability to make a difference will be enriched by this alliance. Our capacity to reach out to local communities, particularly through local health care providers, should be greatly enhanced.

There is an emerging renaissance in health promotion and, in this hopeful new era, we're convinced that we've put together exactly the right team.