Friends For Life Campaign receives Silver Anthem Award
For immediate release.

We are pleased to announce that Health Care Authority’s (HCA) Friends for Life fentanyl education campaign was recently awarded a silver Anthem Award in the Health category.

The Anthem Awards are the largest and most comprehensive social impact awards, accepting work across five areas of impact work. The awards are arranged by gold, silver, and bronze within those areas. For the past 3 years, the Anthem Awards have honored the purpose and mission-driven work of people, companies, and organizations worldwide.

The Friends for Life campaign believes that everyone deserves to be safe and should know how to keep the people they care about safe too. The goals of the campaign are to educate people about:

  • What illicit fentanyl is and why it is unpredictable.
  • How to help youth and young adults avoid opioids like fentanyl.
  • How to spot and respond to an opioid overdose.
  • How to access and use naloxone (Narcan) in an emergency.

“This campaign is an important statewide effort to deliver lifesaving information to Washington’s young people and their families,” said Michelle Hege, CEO of DH, the social-impact agency that partnered with HCA to develop Friends for Life. “We are honored to be part of this critical work, and we hope this recognition will help raise even more awareness about overdose prevention in our state.”

“Our agency is proud to have a spotlight on this meaningful campaign and hopes that it will help people to visit the website and learn how to spot an overdose and administer naloxone,” said Sue Birch, Director of the Washington State Health Care Authority.

HCA is currently planning additional phases of the Friends for Life campaign.

Media contacts

Kennedy Soileau, chief communications officer

About Washington State Health Care Authority

The Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA) is committed to whole-person care, integrating physical health and behavioral health services for better results and healthier residents.

HCA purchases health care for more than 2.5 million Washington residents through Apple Health (Medicaid), the Public Employees Benefits Board (PEBB) Program, the School Employees Benefits Board (SEBB) Program, and the COFA Islander Health Care Program. As the largest health care purchaser in the state, we lead the effort to transform health care, helping ensure Washington residents have access to better health and better care at a lower cost.