Through cooking classes, grocery store visits, and even take-home kitchen supplies.
Dr. Artz coaches participants on how to avoid weight gain and live a healthy lifestyle.
Carter County students are learning important skills on how to choose and prepare healthy foods through a partnership between ETSU Health providers and the Boys & Girls Club of Elizabethton.
Dr. Evelyn Artz, a medical provider at ETSU Health who is board certified in pediatrics, pediatric endocrinology and lifestyle medicine, is passionate about helping children learn to make healthy choices.
She received a Community Access to Children’s Health Program grant from the American Academy of Pediatrics, which allowed her to partner with the Elizabethton Boys & Girls Club to develop an interactive after-school program.
“As a pediatric endocrinologist, I now address concerns about obesity and lifestyle issues that are very different from when I started practicing,” Dr. Aerts said. “We are now seeing more patients with type 2 diabetes and they are much younger. We are also seeing associated conditions such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure.”
She believes many young people are motivated to change but lack the knowledge about how big an impact their lifestyle choices can have.
Through cooking classes, visits to the grocery store and even takeaway kitchen supplies, Dr. Artz teaches participants how to prevent weight gain and live a healthy lifestyle.
“The feedback we’ve heard from parents and guardians shows us that this project is helping our youth and their families,” says Nicole Hensley, Teen Director for the local club. “Dr. Artz’s program not only reaches out within the club, but directly into the homes, as she brings healthy, fresh groceries to club members during each visit. These take-home bags are filled with ingredients that the kids used in their cooking projects during their visit, and families have contacted us to let us know how much they appreciate the groceries.”
Residents and medical students from ETSU’s Quillen School of Medicine supported Dr. Aerts, giving him the opportunity to understand the importance of community service as a healthcare provider.
Dr. Artz hopes to continue and expand the program with the goal of setting participants up for a healthier future.
With 30 clinical sites and more than 300 providers, ETSU Health is at the forefront of efforts to improve the health of Northeast Tennessee by delivering cutting-edge care in dozens of specialties.
East Tennessee State University was founded in 1911 with the sole mission of improving the quality of life for people in the region and beyond. World-class health science programs and an interprofessional approach to medical education have made ETSU a highly respected leader in rural health research and practice. The university also boasts nationally acclaimed programs in arts, technology, computing and media studies. ETSU admits approximately 14,000 students each year and ranks in the top 10% of universities nationwide for students graduating with the least debt.
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