Actress Kristen Bell and Los Angeles OBGYN Howie Mandel Honored for Commitment to Improving Health of Women Worldwide

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May 20, 2015, 04:28 ET

LOS ANGELES, May 20, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Jhpiego, an international health care non-profit and affiliate of Johns Hopkins University, honored actress-activist Kristen Bell and Los Angeles physician Howie Mandel for their selfless dedication to preventing the needless deaths of women and families worldwide.

Kristen Bell and Dr. Leslie Mancuso, President and CEO of Jhpiego

Celebrities from across the TV and movie industry attended the "Laughter Is the Best Medicine" program Tuesday evening that honored Ms. Bell, star of the SHOWTIME® comedy series House of Lies, and Dr. Mandel, an ob/gyn and Hopkins alumnus. Adam Sandler (The Cobbler, Blended Official, That's My Boy), a friend of Dr. Mandel's, had the crowd of Jhpiego supporters laughing with an impromptu routine. Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Shanola Hampton (Shameless), and Baltimore native Julie Bowen (Modern Family) walked the red carpet to help honor their friend, Ms. Bell.

The sold-out event celebrated Jhpiego's work in 50 countries, helping governments develop quality services in maternal and child health, HIV/AIDS, family planning, infection prevention and control, cervical cancer prevention and treatment, as well as malaria prevention and treatment.

Dr. Mandel has served on Jhpiego's Board of Advisors since 2010. He received the Elyse Bila Ouedraogo Award for sharing his passion for women's health, leading efforts to build the advisory board and advancing the organization's core mission of ensuring quality health services for women and families no matter where they live.

"Howie Mandel has been an unwavering supporter of Jhpiego, recruiting outstanding leaders from the LA community to our board, helping grow our innovations fund and unselfishly sharing his time and expertise in maternal health with our team," said Dr. Leslie Mancuso, President and CEO of Jhpiego.

Ms. Bell, who also starred in Frozen, is the mother of two children and a passionate voice on the health benefits of vaccination and breastfeeding, access to clean water for families in the developing world and the unique needs of vulnerable children here and abroad. She received Jhpiego's inaugural Visionary Award.

About Jhpiego
For more than 40 years, Jhpiego has empowered front-line health workers by designing and implementing effective, low-cost, hands-on solutions to strengthen the delivery of health care services for women and their families. Jhpiego works to break down barriers to high-quality health care for the world's most vulnerable populations. For more information, go to www.jhpiego.org.

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SOURCE Jhpiego