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| September 04, 2012- In This Issue |
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Home
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September is SHAPE Month |
SHAPE School Grants |
Guard Against West Nile Virus |
IWorksite Wellness Coordinator |
86 Districts Tobacco-Free
|Intern: Serve and Improve
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PHBRIEFS |
PHNEWS |
PHRECIPE |
PHTRAINING |
PHEVENTS
September Declared "SHAPE Month" in Georgia
Dozens of Free or Discounted Statewide Events Planned to
Promote Child Fitness
The Georgia SHAPE Coalition officially announces SHAPE Month in
Georgia. During the month of September, Georgians from every
corner of our state are invited to participate in a vast array
of health and fitness activities - the largest availability of
free or discounted statewide events and programs.
"Georgia SHAPE is about improving the health of our state's
children," Gov. Nathan Deal said as he signed the official
September proclamation. "And SHAPE Month is about letting every
Georgia family know we support them and we want them to know
fitness is fun.
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Announcing Georgia SHAPE School Grants
 The
Georgia Department of Public Health, in partnership with the
governor's SHAPE initiative, is awarding grants to public
elementary, middle and high schools to expand and enhance their
efforts to address the Georgia School Health and Physical
Education (SHAPE) Act and the USDA's Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids
Act (HKFKA).
The grant program offers two options: Planning Grants for up to
$3,000 in funding or Implementation Grants for up to $5,000 in
funding.
Schools applying for planning grants are required to form or
re-activate a health team or council (e.g., school wellness
council); conduct an assessment using one of the two assessment
tools described below; develop a physical activity and/or
nutrition improvement plan that includes priorities based on the
results of the assessment; participate in training and technical
assistance sessions provided by this grant program; develop a
strategy for implementing programs/activities that address the
top three priorities identified in the plan; and conduct an
evaluation of the planning process.
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 West
Nile Virus (WNV) is once again in the news, with outbreaks
reported in Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, South Dakota and
Oklahoma. Here in Georgia, although we are seeing human cases of
WNV earlier than usual, the number of cases we have reported is
about average for the state. As of Aug. 24, DPH identified 21
confirmed cases of WNV in the state. Three cases have been
fatal.
The CDC is reporting the worst WNV year in the country since
2004. This is due, in part, to the mild winter and early spring
experienced in much of the country. The primary vector of WNV in
Georgia is Culex quinquefasciatus (Southern house
mosquito). Early warm weather allows these mosquitoes to
emerge and begin blood feeding earlier, transmitting the virus
to birds as they feed. The earlier in the year this occurs, the
more birds are likely to become viral positive, the greater the
chance that more mosquitoes will become viral positive, and the
higher the risk to humans bitten by these mosquitoes.
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Up and Running
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Susanne Koch, DPH worksite wellness coordinator |
New worksite wellness coordinator ready to get employees
moving
With a master's degree in exercise physiology and experience
training elite athletes and military forces, Susanne Koch is
well-prepared to guide Department of Public Health (DPH)
employees to optimal levels of health as the new worksite
wellness coordinator.
Koch came to DPH from Kansas and though she has only been in
Georgia one month, she has hit the ground running. While
it's unlikely she'll be pushing employees through 40-yard
dashes or vertical jumps, she has big plans for implementing
fitness, nutrition and general wellness activities for DPH
employees.
"I want everyone to participate in something," said Koch.
"Whether it is joining the walking group, taking a group
exercise class or getting a chair massage, I'm hoping that
everybody takes advantage of the exciting opportunities that
will be coming to 2 Peachtree."
Those exciting opportunities have already started, with Koch
reigniting the workday walking groups, open to all of DPH.
The walks occur on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at noon and
Tuesday and Thursday at 8 a.m. The group leaves from the
front of the 1st floor fitness center.
Koch also hopes to reopen the fitness center, which will
offer access to cardio and strength equipment, along with
group fitness classes.
"Even if we can't reopen the fitness center, we will have
group fitness classes," said Koch. "I will find a space for
those to take place."
Along with getting employees moving, Koch has ideas for "The
Biggest Loser" type weight loss programs, bi-monthly
workshops or webinars on exercise and nutrition topics and a
stairwell beautification initiative that will update the
stairwells with paint, artwork and other aesthetic
improvements.
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86 Georgia School Districts Have Adopted 100% Tobacco-Free Schools
 As
of Aug. 12, 2012, Haralson County Schools (Rome Health District)
joined the growing list of school districts in Georgia that have
adopted the 100% Tobacco-Free Schools model policy. The addition
of the Haralson County Schools brings the total number of
Georgia youth protected from dangers of exposure to secondhand
smoke to 1,165,865.
All school districts are eligible to receive signage and
technical assistance in educating the students, staff and
community that the policy has been adopted in preparation for
the current and upcoming school year. The addition of Haralson
County Schools means that 86 out of the states 181 school
districts are tobacco-free. Eliminating exposure to secondhand
smoke in 86 school districts is a major milestone.
A tobacco-free school policy means a tobacco-free environment
that prohibits tobacco use on school property, including
buildings, grounds, parking lots and athletic fields; in
school-owned or leased vehicles; and at school-sponsored events,
on and off school property. The policy applies to students,
staff and
visitors and is in effect 24 hours a day.
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DPH Intern Uses Public Health to Serve and Improve Community
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Kawanda Foster (back row, sixth from left)and
college friends participated in the National Gandhi
Day of Service. Students across the nation engaged
in service projects in their communities for impact
and inspiration. Foster's team is wearing a t-shirt
that promoted Mahatma Gandhi's belief for community
service: "Be the change you wish to see in the
world."
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Kawanda Amy Foster is a native of south Florida and received her
undergraduate degree in biology with a minor in chemistry and
English from the University of Miami.
Not too far from home, Foster is now completing her final year
at Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University and will
complete her Master of Public Health in epidemiology in May
2013.
Foster said she owes her passion for public health to an
undergraduate professor and mentor who planted the seed of using
public health to change and improve the lives of others and the
surrounding community.
"An Africana studies course titled Race and Healthcare initially
exposed me to public health," said Foster. "I discovered my
interest in the field and my passion for the issues. The
professor who taught the course had an M.P.H. and soon after
became my mentor. The rest is history, and now I'm at Rollins
and I absolutely love it!"
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Home
|
September is SHAPE Month |
SHAPE School Grants |
Guard Against West Nile Virus |
IWorksite Wellness Coordinator |
86 Districts Tobacco-Free
|Intern: Serve and Improve
|
PHBRIEFS |
PHNEWS |
PHRECIPE |
PHTRAINING |
PHEVENTS
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