Danica Patrick races into Lombard Thursday

Professional race car driver Danica Patrick cruises into Lombard on Thursday to take the wheel of the new Edward-Elmhurst Healthcare “Healthy Driven” campaign.

The campaign consists of challenges people can take to improve their nutritional, physical or emotional health, and Pam Davis, Edward-Elmhurst CEO, said it's about motivating people to get healthy.

Patrick will help kick off the campaign with an event beginning at 5 p.m. Thursday at the Westin Hotel at 70 Yorktown Center in Lombard.

In addition to being the campaign spokeswoman in TV, radio, newspaper and magazine ads, Patrick will donate $1 every time someone accepts a challenge on healthydriven.com. Up to $10,000 she committed will support the fight against childhood obesity in the Edward-Elmhurst service area in the West and Southwest suburbs.

“Leading the Healthy Driven campaign is a natural connection and extension of my personal and professional lifestyle,” Patrick said in a written statement. “Through my Healthy Driven Challenge, I want to motivate others to take charge of their health.”

Challenges on the website are divided into nutritional, physical and emotional categories. Participants select a category, then click to spin a wheel for a suggested goal, such as: try a new healthy food, eat more fiber, attend a play or concert, do a brain teaser, use a heart monitor while exercising or quit smoking. If the challenge isn't a good fit, participants can spin again until they're ready to click “accept.”

The campaign comes more than a year after Edward Hospital in Naperville merged with Elmhurst Hospital and roughly a year after the Affordable Care Act took effect. Davis said the new health care law emphasizes keeping patients well, a goal the two hospitals wholeheartedly support.

“Our new brand position is about being driven, and who is more driven than Danica Patrick? She symbolizes what we're talking about — determination and focus to reach your Healthy Driven goals wherever you are in your life,” Davis said.

“That's especially important in this era of health care reform where consumers are being asked to take more personal responsibility for their health.”

Patrick, who grew up in Roscoe, Illinois, is the only woman to have won an IndyCar Series race, the 2008 Indy Japan 300.

Her 3rd place finish at the 2009 Indianapolis 500 is the best showing by a woman in the history of the legendary race.

If you go

5-6:45 p.m. — Health Expo/Entertainment on the stage

6:45-7 p.m. — Close expo booths and get people seated

7-7:10 p.m. — System CEO Pam Davis will do a 5-minute event intro to launch the Healthy Driven brand via a short video

7:10-7:40 p.m. — Facilitated Q&A with Pam Davis and Danica Patrick

7:40-8 p.m. — Prize drawing