Patton and Myers go to health conference

By Ashley Hamilton

 Mrs. Patton, school nurse, and Mrs. Myers, health and science teacher, drove three hours down to the Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington DC on April 9th and 10th to go to the 2102 National Health Promotion Conference. The conference was all about programs to promote health and prevent disease.

 One of the speakers was Regina Benjamin, the 18th Surgeon General of the United States. Dr. Benjamin holds 15 honorary degrees. According to the Surgeon General website, some job duties include: “fulfill statutory and customary Departmental representational functions on a wide variety of Federal boards and governing bodies of non-Federal health organizations, provide leadership and management oversight for PHS Commissioned Corps involvement in Departmental emergency preparedness and response activities, and protect and advance the health of the Nation through educating the public.”

“She seemed to be a down-to-earth woman. Someone you could have dinner with without feeling uncomfortable,” Myers said.

 “[She is] very knowledgeable. Considering what an important position she holds for our country, she seemed very friendly and likeable,” Patton said, “she had a really fun sense of humor.”

Mrs. Estep, the curriculum director, suggested Myers and Patton attend because there was grant money available to pay for conferences about health promotion.

 “It was pretty much pre-approved before I even knew about it,” Patton said.

“Mrs. Myers already has some ideas about that. It’s a little different for me in the Health Suite, but I have some ideas to suggest to Mrs. Estep for new health promotion activities, and it gave me ideas for my bulletin board for next fall. I have the first one all planned, based on a saying I heard from the surgeon general- ‘Health begins where you live, work, learn, and play,’” Patton said.

 Myers is going to use what she learned from the conference by helping her students “live longer, healthier lives.”

 Myers’ favorite part was getting on the Metro for the first time with Patton. Patton’s favorite part was the Surgeon General’s speech, and she feels Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of Health and Human Services, was a good speaker.