Houston Healthcare Winner of American Cancer Society State and Region Awards
Presented at the 2008 American Cancer Society Summit in Macon, the Sponsorship Award recognizes a business, organization or community group for outstanding Mission Delivery and Collaboration with the American Cancer Society. Houston Healthcare received the award for our region, then competed with other regional winners for the state award. Houston Healthcare was named the over-all winner for the non-metro counties, which includes 72 counties in Georgia.
"Houston Healthcare has enjoyed a long partnership with the American Cancer Society over the years including annual events such as The Pink Picnic-the breast cancer awareness luncheon held for the past 13 years to increase breast cancer awareness for all women in Central Georgia, and the Teen Health Forum, which stresses the importance of making good health choices and the consequences of making bad choices and is presented to every eighth grade student in Houston County-approximately 2,000 students," comments Beth Jones, RN, CDE, Director of Community Education and Services.
In addition, Houston Healthcare staff facilitate Fresh Start, an ongoing smoking cessation program with classes held at the Pavilion as well as the Look Good, Feel Better program to assist cancer survivors with coping with the physical changes associated with the disease, adds Jones.
This year, staff from the Community Education and Services Department (EduCare) completed the national survivor instructor training program for the American Cancer Society's I Can Cope program, and initiated the Cancer Survivors Program, a 12-week education and fitness program for cancer patients, survivors and their families that meets at the Pavilion twice a week