[120] MTSU Wins Award in 2009 National Health Information Awards Program

9-30-09
For more information: Tom Tozer, 615-898-2919; Cindy Chafin, 615-847-3081


MTSU Wins Award in 2009 National Health Information Awards Program

MURFREESBORO—Middle Tennessee State University’s Center for Health and Human Services and Middle Tennessee Comprehensive Cancer Control Coalition were selected as a winner in the 16th annual National Health Information Awards. This program recognizes the nation’s best consumer-health information programs and materials.
“A-B-C-1-2-3 Healthy Kids in Tennessee” received a Merit Award for Total Health Information Program. Those involved in the production and design of “A-B-C-1-2-3 Healthy Kids in Tennessee” were Cindy Chafin, project director and consultant to the CHHS and a team of volunteer cancer advocates.
The CHHS has collaborated with several academic disciplines on the MTSU campus to provide expertise and guidance in the development of this curriculum, and with implementation in two preschools in Rutherford County. Nine MTSU dietetics students assisted with on-site nutrition education programming with the two daycare centers as part of a special initiative during National Nutrition month.
Objectives of the “A-B-C-1-2-3 Healthy Kids in Tennessee” include reaching preschool children, their parents and caregivers with important information on cancer prevention, facilitating interactive learning activities for preschool children related to healthy lifestyles and cancer prevention, providing educational opportunities for parents and caregivers related to healthy lifestyles and cancer prevention and building life-time healthy habits in preschool children and their families, ultimately reducing the burden of cancer in Tennessee.
“The CHHS was extremely pleased when presented with a merit award as part of the 2009 National Health Information Awards sponsored by the Health Information Resource Center,” said Dr. Jo Edwards, Director of MTSU’s Center for Health and Human Services. “Our winning entry was chosen from more than 1,000 entries judged by a national panel of health-information experts.”
Since the time that the project was implemented, the project has reached over 5,000 daycare teachers, children, parents and family members with important lifestyle health education information.

With three Nobel Prize winners among its alumni and former faculty, Middle Tennessee State University confers master’s degrees in 10 areas, the Specialist in Education degree, the Doctor of Arts degree and the Doctor of Philosophy degree. MTSU is ranked among the top 100 public universities in the nation in the Forbes “America’s Best Colleges” 2009 survey.