PROVIDENCE – Gov. Donald L. Carcieri and the R.I. Department of Health yesterday announced they are seeking nominees for the Governor’s Awards for Wellness Innovation.

Wanted are companies and other organizations with “creative programs and policies that address the wellness needs of their employees,” targeting seatbelt use, tobacco control, healthy weight, physical activity and nutrition,

Eligible are schools, health care organizations, municipal governments, community-based and faith-based organizations, nonprofits, organized labor, state agencies, media organizations and other worksites.

“Wellness, health promotion, and disease prevention are at the core of public health practice,” Dr. David R. Gifford, the state health director, said in a statement. “While wellness may seem like an obvious priority, it does not usually get the time and attention that it deserves.”

The awards are part of the Governor’s Wellness Initiative, a program that aims to halve the number of Rhode Islanders with unhealthy and unsafe habits by 2010.

The awards program “is an important way to recognize organizations that are innovative, creative, and proactive in developing and maintaining worksite wellness programs,” Carcieri said. “It is well-documented that employees and employers benefit when an organization makes wellness in the workplace a priority.”

To learn more about the Governor’s Awards for Wellness Innovation and the broader Governor’s Wellness Initiative, visit www.health.ri.gov.