Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Scott Whisnant, founder of Cape Fear HealthNet, will be recognized as an Albert Schweitzer Honors Scholar on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011 at 12:30 p.m. at the Burney Center at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. The award is given annually by the UNCW Honors College and Randall Library to a person from the Cape Fear region that has made significant contributions to the community.

Whisnant created Cape Fear HealthNet to ensure that low-income residents of New Hanover, Brunswick, Columbus and Pender counties have access to needed medical care and a healthier quality of life. According to the North Carolina Institute of Medicine, between 2007 and 2009 North Carolina had the nation’s largest percentage growth in uninsured residents. This means that more than 20,000 people in our communities have no health insurance and cannot afford necessary medical care.

Whisnant, currently employed as director of government affairs, grants and outreach at New Hanover Regional Medical Center, has pursued a lifetime of advocacy for those in need, both professionally and in his private life. Over many years in the area, he has chaired the Wilmington Interfaith Hospitality Network, an agency that houses homeless families in a network of faith-based organizations, and participated in Healthy Carolinians and the Cape Fear United Way Policy Vision Council. He also founded Heart and Home, a program created through his church that offers financial assistance to help homeless families move into their own housing, and provides volunteer mentors on an ongoing basis to help those families deal with everyday life issues. Whisnant’s own experience with diagnosis and treatment for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma last year only served to enhance his appreciation for the barriers to health care faced by the poor and uninsured, the driving force behind his leadership of Cape Fear HealthNet.

Even with this track record of community activism and advocacy, Whisnant is humble about his achievements, including being chosen as a recipient of the Schweitzer Award.

“I am overwhelmed to receive this honor, and I appreciate everyone who played a role in my selection,” he said. “I have received so many blessings in my life and strongly believe we are all called to give something back. My goal is to strive to live up to the ideals of winning such a prestigious award.”

The Albert Schweitzer Honors Scholars Award is the legacy of the Albert Schweitzer International Prizes. The annual Albert Schweitzer Honors Scholar is chosen by students and faculty in UNCW’s Honors College, based on his or her significant contributions in music, medicine or the humanities—areas that exemplify the interests and contributions of Albert Schweitzer.

For more information regarding Cape Fear HealthNet go to www.capefearhealthnet.org.

Media contacts:
Kate Bruce, director, UNCW Honors College, 910.962.4181 or bruce@uncw.edu
Dana Fischetti, media relations manager, 910.508.3127 or fischettid@uncw.edu