19 Jan Meet Kathy, VIM Clinic Wellness Coordinator
Kathy has always wondered “what if” in terms of strategies for health promotion and disease prevention. From an undergraduate degree in health science and as a competitive swimmer, the idea of better and stronger challenged her thinking. In pursuit of a master’s degree in public health and while working with middle school students as an intern with Norfolk General Hospital, VA, Kathy realized teenagers were also pondering health-related questions at their teenage forum, including “Do Skittles Cause Cancer,” based on the warnings listed on the label!
Life lessons and an enriching professional career with the American Cancer Society, Saint Joseph’s Hospital of Atlanta, Fulton County, GA, Public Health Department, Atlanta Healthcare Alliance, and private hospital consulting firms emphasized to Kathy the critical nature of positive lifestyle choices for a sustainable health care system and strong communities. After all, as we are constantly reminded by the public health visionaries, health is more than choice and more than the absence of disease – it is value-based care with a shared focus and measurable outcomes.