WebMD to Celebrate 2014 Health Heroes

NEW YORK, Oct. 6, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- WebMD Health Corp. (NASDAQ: WBMD), the leading source of health information, today announced that Good Morning America co-anchor Robin Roberts will host the first annual WebMD Health Hero Awards in New York City on November 6, 2104, and that Michael J. Fox will receive WebMD's first Health Hero Hall of Fame Award. WebMD's Health Hero Awards are presented to a group of accomplished and inspiring individuals who have helped change the healthcare landscape by meeting a health challenge and giving back to others. In addition to honoring Fox, WebMD will also honor Health Hero Award winners in the following categories: Activist, Philanthropist, Prodigy, Scientist, and People's Choice.

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Michael J. Fox was selected as the first WebMD Health Hero Hall of Fame Winner for his significant accomplishments, both personally and through his foundation, to raise awareness, expand funding, develop treatment options, and advocate for patients in his tireless quest to find a cure for Parkinson's disease.

"WebMD is proud to honor Michael J. Fox with our first Hall of Fame award for galvanizing the research community around finding a cure for Parkinson's disease, and for his tireless advocacy on behalf of patients everywhere," said David Schlanger, Chief Executive Officer, WebMD. "We are also excited that Robin Roberts, a real hero in her own right and a source of inspiration to many, will help us celebrate all six of this year's Health Heroes during what promises to be a very special evening devoted to those who are improving the health of the nation."  

In addition to this year's Hall of Fame Award Winner, WebMD's editorial team, composed of board-certified healthcare professionals and award-winning journalists, has selected health heroes in the following four categories:

• Activist: Someone who makes a difference in the community, whether that means a city, state, nation, or a group of people who have the same disease or the same health goal.
• Scientist: A doctor, researcher, or other bright mind that is thinking outside the box to find a wow-factor answer to a complex medical problem.
• Prodigy: Whether by spreading the word about a worthy cause, helping others boost their wellness, or coming up with a way to improve care, this young person -- under 21 -- is changing the game.
• Philanthropist: Charitable giving at this level is about more than handing out funds. This person, family, or nonprofit takes a leadership role, raises the bar, and draws eyes to a cause on a major scale.

In conjunction with the 10th anniversary of WebMD Magazine, WebMD will also recognize a People's Choice award winner this year. WebMD's editors chose 10 celebrities who had previously appeared on the cover of WebMD Magazine and invited the public to vote for its choice. At the time WebMD ran his or her story, each celebrity was passionately involved in an important health cause. Today, each continues to do good work to better the health and wellness of many people. 

WebMD's Health Heroes will each receive a $10,000 donation from WebMD to his or her cause and be featured in the November/December issue of WebMD Magazine. You can read more about past WebMD Health Heroes and this year's People's Choice finalists at www.webmd.com/healthheroes.  WebMD will announce the names of the remaining 2014 Health Hero Awards winners on October 21. 

About WebMD
WebMD Health Corp. (NASDAQ: WBMD) is the leading provider of health information services, serving consumers, physicians, healthcare professionals, employers, and health plans through our public and private online portals, mobile platforms and health-focused publications. The WebMD Health Network includes WebMD Health, Medscape, MedicineNet, emedicineHealth, RxList, theheart.org, Medscape Education and other owned WebMD sites.  

WebMD®, Medscape®, CME Circle®, Medpulse®, eMedicine®, MedicineNet®, theheart.org® and RxList® are among the trademarks of WebMD Health Corp. or its subsidiaries.

To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please click http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7282552-webmd-2014-health-heroes-robin-roberts-michael-j-fox-hall-of-fame-award/

SOURCE WebMD