Healthy Life Clinic Receives National Recognition as Outstanding Small Business Launched by an Individual Aged 50+ from SCORE Foundation Sponsored by Deluxe Corporation

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Sep 14, 2011, 09:26 ET

WASHINGTON, Sept. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Gary R. Bickford, Ph.D., FNP-BC of Knoxville, TN, and owner of Healthy Life Clinic, Inc. has been chosen as this years' recipient for the prestigious Outstanding Small Business Launched by an Individual Aged 50+ award given by The SCORE Foundation. SCORE, (www.SCORE.org) mentors to America's small business, serves over 350,000 clients annually and honors their most successful clients at The SCORE Foundation's annual award ceremony celebrating excellence on Thursday, September 15th at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, DC. Healthy Life Clinic, Inc. will be honored for demonstrating unique vision, innovation and achievement as an Outstanding Small Business Launched by an Individual Aged 50+ sponsored by Deluxe Corporation.

Healthy Life Clinic, Inc. is receiving this award out of a group of hundreds of nominees based on their successful small business growth and successful community partnerships. Healthy Life Clinics and Gary Bickford serve people with otherwise few health care options. Seeing up to 30 patients in a day, Healthy Life Clinics can do everything a doctor's office can, from prescribing medicine, to performing minor procedures, and treating common but serious health issues, like high blood pressure and diabetes. Desperate patients are relieved when they learn they'll be taken care of regardless of insurance. Bickford has expanded from one location in 2009 to four clinics throughout Knoxville and Jamestown, TN.

"We are so blessed to be recognized for our mission as a small business of providing healthcare to the medically under-served in our communities. Out of the hundreds of outstanding SCORE clients that were nominated our mission to give back to society helped us be successful. Thank you to our wonderful communities for supporting us and helping us succeed. This would not have been possible without you!" says Gary Bickford, Ph.D., FNP-BC.

SCORE CEO Ken Yancey says, "Despite a tough economic year, many small businesses were able to survive and thrive. The SCORE Awards celebrates and honors these successful and innovative entrepreneurs and the small business advocates who support entrepreneurship in America." Yancey adds, "It is important for us to recognize those outstanding small businesses launched by people 50+, like Healthy Life Clinic, Inc. that are supporting their communities through their success."

The SCORE Foundation President Mark Dobosz says, "In our third year of the SCORE Awards we look forward to honoring clients and supporters that inspire other small businesses as they proceed on their path to success. SCORE is honored to celebrate the people and businesses that fuel social progress and economic success in America."

Find out about this SCORE Success Story here: http://tiny.cc/owub8

About The SCORE Foundation: The mission of The SCORE Foundation is to support and leverage the work of SCORE by soliciting, investing and managing resources for the benefit of SCORE. Learn more about The SCORE Foundation at www.scorefoundation.org.

About SCORE: Since 1964, SCORE has helped more than 9 million aspiring entrepreneurs. Each year, SCORE provides small business mentoring and workshops to more than 375,000 new and growing small businesses. More than 13,000 business experts volunteer as mentors in 364 chapters serving local communities with entrepreneur education to help grow 1 million small businesses.

For more information about starting or operating a small business, call 1-800/634-0245 for the SCORE chapter nearest you. Visit SCORE at www.score.org. Connect with SCORE at www.facebook.com/SCOREFans, http://twitter.com/SCOREMentors.

Contact Information
Shalini Karnani – Communications Manager
703-487-3645 [email protected]

SOURCE SCORE