'General Hospital' Among 12 Sentinel Award Honorees

"Sentinel Awards last night with theses powerful women," tweeted
General Hospital executive producer Frank Valentini.

As the entertainment landscape expands and programs continue to push boundaries, TV storylines that inform, educate and motivate audiences to make choices for healthier and safer lives are more important than ever. Now in their 19th year, the 2018 Sentinel Awards are presented by Hollywood, Health & Society (HH&S), a program of The Norman Lear Center at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. The 12 outstanding Sentinel Awards honorees for 2018 spotlight a wide range of topics that include nuclear safety, maternal health, HIV/AIDS, autism, sexual assault, mental health and disabilities. The honorees were recognized at a red-carpet event on Wednesday at the Taglyan Complex in Hollywood.

Entries were submitted from broadcast networks, cable channels and streaming services. All eligible submissions were reviewed for accuracy by experts from the CDC and partner organizations; a second round of judging looked at the entertainment value and potential benefit to the viewing audience.

“Entertainment television is a powerful resource for information, and compelling storylines can motivate millions of viewers worldwide,” said Kate Langrall Folb, director of HH&S.

Martin Kaplan, director of the Lear Center and HH&S’ principal investigator, said: “We’re delighted to shine a spotlight on writers and producers who entertain viewers and at the same time provide them with accurate information. We hope the shows and storylines we honor will spur other writers to recognize and use responsibly the power they wield.”

The 2018 Sentinel Awards honorees:
• General Hospital—Sonny’s Dad storyline (ABC)
Topic: Alzheimer’s disease
• Chicago Med—Mountains and Molehills (NBC)
Topic: HIV/AIDS
• Grey’s Anatomy—Hemorrhage Cart storyline (ABC)
Topic: Maternal health
• One Day at a Time—Hello, Penelope (Netflix)
Topic: Mental health
• Speechless—One A-n-Angry M-Maya (ABC)
Topic: Disability
• 13 Reasons Why—The Missing Page (Netflix)
Topic: Sexual assault
• GLOW—Maybe It’s All the Disco (Netflix)
Topic: Abortion
• Empire—Sweet Sorrow (FOX)
Topic: Abortion
• Sofia the First—The Lost Pyramid (Disney Junior)
Topic: Vision impairment
• Sesame Street—Shape Hunt (HBO)
Topic: Autism
• Jane the Virgin—Chapter 78 and Chapter 80 (The CW)
Topic: Breast cancer
• Madam Secretary—Night Watch (CBS)
Topic: Nuclear safety