Cigna recently launched a virtual healthcare community pilot program in Second Life (SL) that the company hopes will “help foster real and sustainable behavior change that improvies health.”

The Second Life ‘island,’ or virtual space, developed with branding agency Method, will house seminars, interactive displays, educational games and virtual health consultations. There will also be a nutrition zone that will give users critical information on food and nutrition that will help people better understand their body’s needs and choices.

The use of Second Life will extend Cigna’s reach beyond traditional educational outlets.

“With a social interactivity that extends beyond geographic boundaries,” said Keith Dixon, Ph.D., president of CIGNA’s health solutions unit, “and an exciting and appealing visual experience, CIGNA’s virtual community enables us to reach an entirely new group of people that might not respond to health education messages delivered through more traditional channels.“

Cigna becomes the first major healthcare provider to launch an initiative like this, according to HealthcareIT News. It joins IBM which recently launched its Health Information Exchange architecture in SL, and a myriad of other healthcare sites in the virtual world.

Read the Cigna press release here.