Turn ND Blue Photo Contest Results
The Turn ND Blue Photo Contest is held every year during colorectal cancer awareness month in March, to create awareness about colorectal cancer across our entire state. Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. The good news is that through earlier detection through screening, and improvements in treatment, during the past decade, the death rate has declined by 1.7% per year in both men and women. Awareness is making a difference and is the reason this photo contest is so important.
This year’s contest was sponsored by Quality Health Associates of ND. Twenty two photos across three categories were submitted.
Participants included:
- First Care Health Center
- CHI Oakes Hospital
- St. Luke’s Medical Center Clinic
- St. Luke’s Medical Center Hospital
- Towner County Medical Center
- KAT & Company
- South Central Health – Napoleon Clinic
- South Central Health – Kulm Clinic
- South Central Health – Wishek Clinic
- Family Health Care
- Unity Medical Center
- Bismarck Burleigh Public Health
- Quality Health Associates of ND- ScreeND Team
- Quality Health Associates of ND Staff
- Bismarck Cancer Center
- Ptacek Financial
- Heart of America Medical Center – Rugby Clinic
- Sanford Health Outreach Team
- Richland County Health Department
- JMHCC Glen Ullin Family Medical Clinic
- JMHCC Elgin Community Clinic
- Jacobson Memorial Hospital Care Center
Winners in each category will receive a canvas print of their photo, which will be presented at the North Dakota Cancer Coalition Annual Meeting on June 24, 2025. Five judges provided scoring for each photo, with the scores totaled to determine the winners. The winners from each category are:
Hospital Category:
- First place: First Care Health Center, with the slogan “Your Mission should you choose to accept it: Get Screened.” Pictured are Lyndsey Harrington, Wendy Blasky, Brent Kaiser, Dr. Mirza B. Baig, Deb Anderson, Olivia Dvorak, and Alexa Holt.
- Runner Up: Unity Medical Center, with the slogan, “There are things more awkward than a colonoscopy!”
Ambulatory Care Settings:
- First place: Heart of America Medical Center, with the slogan “KISS: Keep it Simple ~Screen. Pictured left to right: Robyn Arnold, Josie “Star Child” Stone, Lori Hoffert, Alyssa Mattern, Andrea Beaver, Megan Jundt, JoBeth Thomas, Karn Miller. Kneeling: Morgan Oppen, Shelley Mundahl
- Runner Up: Bismarck Cancer Center with the theme, “Wipe Out Cancer.”
Non-Medical Worksites:
- First Place: KAT & Company, with the slogan, “Turn ND Blue (But Not Kike That)!” Team members pictures included Gail Winterberg, CJ Beasley, Shari Huettl, Megan Jeromchek, and Steve Warkel.
- Runner Up: Quality Health Associates of ND with the theme, “Get your REAR in GEAR!”
For the first time, the public could view the photos through out the month and vote for their favorites. Unity Medical Center’s “There are things more awkward than a colonoscopy!” photo received the most votes and lots of laughs.
Thank you to everyone who participated!