Pensacola, Fla. (April 16, 2024) – Lakeview Center was honored to receive the Sapphire Award, along with $25,000 from the Florida Blue Foundation.

Florida Blue Foundation, the philanthropic affiliate of Florida Blue, presented the 2024 Sapphire Awards during its annual two-day Community Health Symposium. This year’s event focused on local solutions designed to address critical health issues affecting Floridians and attracted 700 people from the health care, government, higher education, and nonprofit sectors. The event featured national and statewide speakers, panel discussions, and networking opportunities focused on improving health at the community level.

Lakeview Center was among nine award recipients recognized at the Symposium for doing exemplary work in the local community to improve health outcomes and increase access to health care services and support.

“Thousands of people who struggle with mental health and substance abuse issues in Northwest Florida cannot afford access to the care they need – which is why this support from the Florida Blue Foundation is so paramount,” said Allison Hill, CEO of Lakeview Center’s parent company, LifeView Group. “As Northwest Florida’s most comprehensive provider of behavioral health care, with more than 60 programs from Escambia to Walton County, Lakeview Center offers a continuum of mental health care from crisis support and outpatient treatment to community-based care and residential programs. The Florida Blue Foundation shares our mission of ‘helping people.’ This award is an honor and a testament to the work our team members do every day, serving people in need.”

The Florida Blue Foundation introduced the Sapphire Awards in 2005 to recognize excellence and innovation in community health leadership and programs across Florida. Since then, the Foundation has given out 148 Sapphire Awards, totaling $7.5 million.

For information about mental health services available at Lakeview Center, call 850-469-3500 or visit eLakeviewCenter.org.