News: Second Annual Child Health Week in Tennessee
Governor Bredesen has declared that October 5-11, 2009 was Child Health Week in Tennessee. Child Health Week is sponsored annually by the Governor’s Office of Children’s Care Coordination and is set aside as a time to highlight ways for children and families to achieve optimal health. Child Health Week was first celebrated in Tennessee in 2008, with over 230 activities spread across the state.
This year’s theme was “Healthy Youth, Healthy Future.” Child Health Week is a great time for providers to emphasize messages of prevention and healthy habits. Many participants were once again focusing on childhood obesity and were using Child Health Week as a way to spotlight opportunities for children and families to make healthy food choices and be more active. You are completely free, however, to focus on a topic of your choosing (well-child visits, immunizations, etc).
More information about Child Health Week,including downloadable
resources, are available at the Child Health Week website (www.tennesseeanytime.org/gov/child-health)
or by calling Ashley Barbee in the Governor’s Office
of Children’s Care Coordination at 615-741-5192.
Example activities for a pediatric practice:
• Write a column in a school newsletter or Op-Ed in your local paper about a child health topic.
• Add a message about nutrition and physical activity or another health topic to your office phone message.
• Speak to a community organization, classroom, or PTO about healthy lifestyles for children.
• Lead a community fitness event (like a walk in the park).
• Volunteer to hold a BMI or blood pressure screening.
• Talk to your patients and families about healthy habits that will ensure a healthy future.
• Host a “healthy recipe” contest for your office staff and let your patients be the judge.
• Have your patients draw pictures related to healthy living and display them in your office during Child Health Week.
• Visit a local school and talk with students and staff about healthy lifestyles.
• Be a good role model for your patients.
• Issue a health challenge for your staff (for example, challenge all staff to engage in 60 minutes of physical activity daily during Child Health Week).
