Heart City Health Honored with Two Awards at the Indiana Immunization Coalition Ceremony
Heart City Health is proud to announce it has been recognized with both The
Callie Van Tornhout Award and The Kristen Forbes Award at the Indiana Immunization
Coalition (IIC) Award Ceremony, held on May 8, 2025.
These honors celebrate Heart City Health’s dedication to improving immunization rates and
protecting the health of children and adolescents in Elkhart and surrounding communities.
The Callie Van Tornhout Award is presented to clinics and healthcare practices that achieve
excellent vaccination coverage among children ages 19 to 35 months. This distinction requires
meeting high benchmarks for critical childhood vaccines. Heart City Health’s commitment to
early childhood wellness and disease prevention has once again made it a leader in this critical
area of pediatric care.
In addition, Heart City Health received the Kristen Forbes Award, which recognizes
outstanding adolescent vaccination rates for youth aged 13 to 18. The honor underscores
Heart City Health’s proactive approach to educating families, increasing vaccine access, and
building long-term community health outcomes.
This year’s awards continue a nearly decade-long tradition of distinction with the Indiana
Immunization Coalition recognizing our unwavering efforts in childhood immunization rates.
Letisha Purdiman and Dr. Dwayne Johnson represented Heart City Health at the ceremony and
proudly accepted the awards on behalf of the organization.
“At Heart City Health, our unwavering commitment to children’s health drives everything we do.
Through our comprehensive vaccination programs, we strive to ensure every child in our
community has access to life-saving vaccines. Our mission is to foster a healthier future for all,
and we will continue to work tirelessly to achieve this goal,” said LaLaesha Black, Interim Chief
Executive Officer at Heart City Health
Heart City Health remains steadfast in its mission to advance public health through
compassionate, affordable care for all, regardless of ability to pay, and continues to advocate
for the life-saving power of immunizations at every age.