NRPA CEO joins U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy and the National Park Service to celebrate parks’ role in healthy lives on April 24

ASHBURN, Va. – April 23, 2016 – Park Prescriptions are a simple concept. Members of the medical community prescribe parks, access to nature and recreational activities to patients to help them meet their healthcare goals. To celebrate this growing movement, the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) is joining U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy and the National Park Service (NPS) for National Park Rx Day on April 24.

As a founding partner of the National Park Rx Initiative, NRPA supports collaborations between parks and recreation and the healthcare community. National Park Rx Day is an opportunity for people everywhere to see Park Prescriptions in action.

“Local parks are already the perfect places to get fit and be healthy,” said Barbara Tulipane, NRPA President and CEO. “Your close-to-home parks are accessible to all people and have benefits that extend beyond your healthcare goals. They contribute to improved mental health, bring communities together, and create healthier environments through conservation and sustainability.”

National Park Rx Day will be celebrated at national and local parks throughout the country. Ms. Tulipane will be speaking on the importance of Park Prescriptions at Meridian Hill Park in Washington, D.C. at 1:00 p.m. She will be speaking alongside Dr. Murthy, NPS National Capital Regional Director Robert A. Vogel, NPS Rock Creek Park Superintendent Tara Morrison, and Park Rx Advisor and Unity Healthcare, Inc. Pediatrician Dr. Robert Zarr.

Park Prescriptions have the power to help patients meet their healthcare goals and reduce the risk of long-term, lifestyle diseases. To learn more about the National Park Rx Initiative – a partnership between NRPA, NPS and the Institute at the Golden Gate – visit www.parkrx.org.