Web Site Captures Museum Exhibit For Generations Of North Carolinians

Five Hundred Years Of Health Care History Available Online

January 29, 2008

CHAPEL HILL - Five hundred years worth of North Carolina's health care history is now just a click away.

Today Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) is announcing the launch of a new Web site. The site has digitally captured one of the North Carolina Museum of History's longest-running and most popular exhibits, "Health and Healing Experiences in North Carolina," which ran from 1998 to 2007.

The exhibit is now a dynamic and interactive timeline accessible at www.nchealthandhealing.com. The site chronicles the health issues and practices of North Carolinians, ranging from the use of herbal remedies to high-tech breakthroughs in modern medicine. Guests to the site can choose from a wide array of health topics, view photos of historical events, watch informative videos and listen to personal accounts of North Carolinians.

"For 75 years, we have been here for the people of North Carolina, and we are celebrating this milestone by preserving a piece of the state's history for everyone to enjoy," said Bob Greczyn, president and CEO of BCBSNC. "Our roots run deep into the fabric of this state, and we are committed to the future health and well-being of North Carolinians."

Through the Internet, the exhibit can now reach more people than ever. BCBSNC partnered with the North Carolina Museum of History to archive an important aspect of the state's history and to educate North Carolinians young and old about the evolution of health care in their home state. By transferring this exhibit to an online multimedia site, BCBSNC and the North Carolina Museum of History demonstrate how collaborative efforts to save the past provide knowledge and information that can be used now and in the future.

"Thousands of visitors saw the exhibit during its 9 ½-year run, and now many more people will be able to experience it," said Ken Howard, executive director of the North Carolina Museum of History. "Our partnership with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina has enabled us to extend the life and impact of the exhibit. The site is an informative resource that all North Carolinians can access and use in order to learn how health care and medicine have changed."

The site will also include downloadable teacher's lesson plans developed by the North Carolina Museum of History. Health, science and social studies teachers can incorporate these resources and educational activities into classroom lessons. By accessing the Web site, students across the state can research or learn about the vast public health challenges overcome through innovation and modernization.