The Pulse

Why is Disney World the happiest place on earth? One of the major reasons is that the cast members, as they call their employees, make their patrons feel special as soon as they step foot on the Disney property. How are they able to do this consistently? “When everyone matters and everyone knows he or she matters, employees are happy to come to work, and they’re eager to give you their energy, creativity, and loyalty” (Cockerell, 2008, p. 35). What would happen if we were intentional about making everyone in our circle feel genuinely included? Inclusion is not just about respecting the differences among people. It is about making individuals feel important and intentionally pulling them in to engage them in our activities. Every individual is important. If you don’t think so, imagine doing your job without them. Let’s create magic!

Cockerell, L. (2008). Creating magic: 10 common sense leadership strategies from a life at Disney. Currency.

The effort for a fully vaccinated population to prevent the spread of COVID-19 has been a struggle, but the Center for Health and Social Issues (CHSI) has partnered with the Department of Public Health and the Community Organization Relief Effort (CORE) to promote vaccination in Baldwin County. Tanner Cobb, a senior public health major, and intern for the Center for Health and Social Issues, oversees a free vaccination clinic on September 15th at the Collins P. Lee Center in the community of Harrisburg.

The Middle Georgia Food Bank brings a mobile food pantry to the Collins P. Lee center for food distribution every third Wednesday of the month and attracts families throughout Baldwin. Cobb will coordinate the free vaccination clinic where Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccines will be administered to promote vaccination throughout the county. By doing this, the CHSI and partners are attempting to reduce disparities and barriers in the communities of Milledgeville. One major barrier to the community is the lack of transport, so the community center will be more accessible for those without transportation because it is within walking distance for many residents.

This health clinic will be overseen by CHSI director Dr. Damian Francis. GC Nursing students will also attend this event to provide blood pressure and HbA1c screenings to community members and supervised by Dr. Talecia Warren. Everyone who has not been vaccinated is encouraged to come on down to the community center on September 15th from 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM to receive their vaccine for free!

Pictured below: Tanner Cobb, fall 2021 CHSI intern

We are excited to welcome our new Lecturer in Public Health, Ms. Helen DuPree, to SHHP! Helen joins the faculty as a graduate of two Georgia College programs: Master of Science: Health Promotion concentration and Master of Arts in Teaching for Health and Physical Education. She is a member of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi and was named Outstanding Graduate Student for Physical Education by GC’s School of Health and Human Performance. Helen’s interest in health sciences began as a young athlete. She was a scholarship athlete on the University of West Georgia women’s volleyball team, where she earned a position on the Gulf South Conference All-Academic Team. Since then, she has coached athletes of varying degrees of skill. Professionally, Helen served on the Mercer University School of Medicine’s Wellness Advisory Board, organized health fairs and wellness events, and assisted in connecting rural communities with essential health services. She is a member of the National Eating Disorders Association, the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association, and the Georgia Recreational Sports Association. She is also a member of the American College of Sports Medicine and is pursuing ACSM’s Certified Personal Trainer qualification. Her academic interests include health promotion/education, eating disorder awareness and prevention, and nutrition.

Pictured below: Helen DuPree, MS, MAT

Two former Outdoor Education students, Lane Krull ('19) and Faith (Farber) Krull ('19), who set out in April at the Mexico border, hiked 2650 up the Pacific Crest Trail to the Canadian border and arrived on September 6th. The Krull's journey was shared on YouTube at "Walking with Purpose." Congratulations Lane & Faith!

Pictured below: Faith & Lane Krull

• SHHP received a mass communication practicum student to create a web page for the group and a GC-approved SHHP logo for the fall semester. SHHP will meet on Thursdays from 3:30 – 4:30 in the Exercise Science lab this semester and is open to ALL GC students interested in our research agenda. We will have a Pain Tolerance study beginning soon.

• Dr. Mike Martino authored a chapter in the 3rd edition of Human Kinetics NSCA's Essentials of Personal Training textbook. He has also been busy serving as an Advisory Board Member for Setanta College in Thurles, Ireland, National Strength & Conditioning Associations (NSCA) International Committee, NSCA State/Provincial Director SAGE Council Member, and as an NSCA Strength & Conditioning Journal Reviewer.

• Dr. Kelly Massey has completed her third year as chair of the Nursing, Midwifery, and Allied Healthcare category within The Global Undergraduate Awards. The Global Undergraduate Summit will be held in November, and the global, regional, and highly commended entry winners will be recognized. Dr. Massey serves as the editor of Georgia College’s Undergraduate Research Journal. The journal's second issue goes to print in September and will include eight undergraduate research papers, which is two more than the inaugural issue.

• At the 2021 International Organization of Health, Sports, and Kinesiology Virtual conference on May 7 and 8, 2021, Georgia College was well represented by four groups from Dr. Jin Park's KINS 4253 course. After presenting their research, two of the groups received "Excellent Presentation Awards for Undergraduate Students''. In addition to professional recognition, the two groups received $200 scholarships in support of their studies. Dr. Park also received a distinguished professor award from the organization. Check out the video link here.

• Dr. Claxton graduated with a BSN from Armstrong State University and MSN and DNP from Georgia Southern University. His clinical background includes mental health nursing and advance practice mental health nursing in both outpatient and inpatient settings. A large portion of his career has been spent in community mental health, working with indigent and underserved patients. Dr. Claxton's special interests include bullying behaviors, suicide prevention, and child/adolescent mental health nursing.

• In 1985, Marcia Henry received her BSN and graduated at the head of her class magna cum laude from Georgia College. She worked at Navicent Baldwin for 35 years. She worked in ICU, Telemetry, IMCU, and as a house supervisor and case manager during her time there. In 2017, she returned to her alma mater to pursue a masters in nurse education, graduating in 2020. Before accepting a lecturer position, she worked as a part-time clinical instructor at Georgia College from 2018-2020. She is currently enrolled in the DNP program at Georgia College.

• Dr. Norris-Taylor received her DNP from the University of Hawaii at Hilo, where her research focused on a Transcultural Nursing Approach to Secondary Prevention of Pressure-Related Foot Injury in Micronesian Migrants in Hawai’i with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. She has been a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner since 2017 and works with disabled veterans. She also received her BSN from the University of Hawai’i at Hilo. Her special interests include long-term care and underserved populations.

• Dr. Paramore is a board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner and family nurse practitioner. He received his DNP through the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, PMHNP through Regis College, FNP through Tennessee State University, MSN in nursing education through Tennessee State University, BSN through East Tennessee State University, and Master of Arts in Counseling through Trevecca Nazarene University. He is an experienced clinician in primary care and mental health, previously working in Tennessee and Minnesota prior to relocating to Milledgeville. His publications include numerous journal articles and treatment guidelines.

Pictured below from left to right:

Corey Claxton, DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC; Marcia Henry, MSN, RN;

Joyce Norris-Taylor, DNP, APRN-RX, FNP-C; Brian Paramore, DNP, PMHNP-BC, FNP-C

The White Coat Ceremony is designed as a rite of passage to emphasize the importance of compassionate patient care at the very start of training. In addition to reciting the oath, students come forward during the ceremony to be “cloaked” before family and friends in the iconic white coat that signifies their status as healthcare professionals.

The White Coat Ceremony was initiated in 1993 at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons by The Arnold P. Gold Foundation. Arnold P. Gold, MD, a Columbia professor, believed that the oath to compassionate patient care taken by new physicians at the end of medical school came too late. Today, nearly every medical school in the United States, hundreds of nursing schools, and many other institutions participate in this tradition of humanistic care.

The Gold Foundation is honored to have supported this White Coat Ceremony with a grant generously given by Board trustee Elaine Adler and administered through a partnership with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN).

Dr. Arnold P. Gold

1925-2018

Arnold Perlman Gold was a world-renowned pediatric neurologist, a professor at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons for 58 years, and a master diagnostician who became an international leader and advocate for humanism in healthcare. He died on January 28, 2018, in New York City at the age of 92. His legacy lives on in the work of the Gold Foundation.

Learn more at gold-foundation.org.

CLASS OF 2023

Molly Baker, Kendall Benton, Lily Beranek, Kayla Berry, Anna Bloess, Kelsey Busch, Taylor Claude, Nadira Colbert, James Connard, Mackenzie Copeland, Emily Crow, Riley Deep, Sarah DeNell, Olivia Digiacomo, Erica Doeding, Mary Dopson, Margaret Dowlen, Samantha Fields, Katherine Fredeman, Emily Goldsberry, Gabriella Gramoglia, Caroline Graviss, Taya Green, Kyleigh Grosvenor, Brooke Hudson, Rylee Hunter, Emily King, Abigail Kloes, Bailey McCurtain, Molly McGrinder, Sarah Michael, Anna Moore, Olivia Morgan, Bailey Myers, Marta Niedzialek, Jorryn Parkes, Eva Parnell, Amelia Pierce, Priya Polanco, Aleah Ponder, Catherine Rainieri, Sarah Reaves, Emma Rice, Kaelyn Roberts, Marquis Sims, Anna Spenello, Chloe Spruell, Erin Stitt, Allison Sullivan, Grace Summerour, Nina Tovey, Alyssa Vasquez, Clara White, Hailey Whitten, Shannon Williams, Sophia Williams, Bridget Woods

Facebook link to the White Coat Ceremony.

A Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner’s (WHNP) role is to assess, diagnose and treat the health care needs of women throughout their lifespan. Georgia College Graduate Nursing program recently added a WHNP specialty to their Masters of Science concentrations coordinated by Dr. Monica Ketchie DNP, CNM, ANP. The first cohort graduated in May 2021. After graduation, all students took certification exams through the National Certification Corporation. We are excited to report a 100% pass rate. All students are board-certified to practice in Georgia. Congratulations, WHNP 2021 Graduates!

Kristin obtained three degrees from Georgia College, including her Bachelors of Science in Nursing, Masters of Science in Nursing with a Family Nurse Practitioner focus, and Doctor of Nursing Practice. Kristin is an entrepreneur, functional and lifestyle medicine guru, personal trainer, group fitness instructor, and lover of everything health and wellness.

Passionate about taking a Personalized Medicine approach, Kristin focuses on uncovering the root cause of chronic illness and disease. Taking into account her patients lifestyle, diet, genetics, environment, and stress, each treatment plan is unique and individualized.

Kristin has been serving and caring for patients for over 10 years. She strives every day to provide high-quality care by doing everything with compassion, integrity, and above all, a serving heart.

Kristin founded STAT Wellness, which stands for Strength To Achieve Total Wellness, to help transform medicine. At STAT Wellness, the goal is to partner with each patient and help them look their best and feel their best by combining the best practices of medicine and movement.

Kristin attended her first Board meeting on August 26, and she is looking forward to the upcoming Board Retreat @ Lake Laurel Lodge on September 17.

Pictured below: Kristin Corbin Oja

We are excited to share that our own Emily Lim Boewadt has been promoted to Senior Donor Engagement Officer and will be serving both the College of Health Sciences and the College of Education. Emily has been with Georgia College for over six years now and brings twenty-four years of experience before joining our team. She has earned this promotion, and we are very excited for her. Congratulations Emily!

Pictured below: Emily Lim Boewadt

Please remember that the deadline for the Hall of Fame nominations is October 1st. See below for the HoF nomination form link.

Hall of Fame Nomination Link

• Anthony, D., Todd, S. Y., Biber, D. D., & Czech, D. R. (in press). Addressing college athletes' musical choice in relation to identity, culture and performance. Applied Research in Coaching and Athletics Annual, (January 2022).

• Biber, D. D., Czech, D. R., Donald, E., Hassett, A., & Tucker, A. (in press). The relationship between sleep duration, BMI, and optimism levels in generation Z students. Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies in Education. (October 2021).

• Biber, D. D. & Czech, D.R. (2021). Comparing anxiety, aggression, and hostility, between NCAA Division I athletes and non-athletes: A cross-sectional study. Applied Research in Coaching and Athletics Annual, 36, 1-22. DOI: 10.1007/s12646-020-00556-w.

• Biber, D. D. & Czech, D. R. (2021). College students’ attitudes toward seeking professional help. National Wellness Institute Journal. Retrieved from https://nwijournal.com/study-college-students-attitudes-toward-seeking-professional-help/.

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Location: 231 West Hancock Street, Milledgeville, GA, USA
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