March 2017… Fighting gun violence, preventing athletic injuries, promoting vaccinations, and teaching squash are among the ways a dozen Philadelphia-area health leaders are working to make our communities healthier and safer.
Their stories will appear in Leading Healthy Change In Our Communities 2017, the sixth book in a series written and illustrated by elementary and middle school students who participate in the Healthy NewsWorks student media program.
This year’s volume will also include some new interviews with leaders from past books to catch up on what they’ve been doing since they were originally recognized in the Leading Healthy Change series.
Here is the complete list of 2017 health leaders, who were selected from community nominations:
- Alfred Atanda Jr., M.D., Director, Center for Sports Medicine, Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children
- Cheryl Bettigole, M.D., M.P.H., Director, Division of Chronic Disease Prevention, Philadelphia Department of Public Health
- Jesus Castro, BoatBuild and Sail Program Director, Philadelphia Wooden Boat Factory
- Bettyann Creighton, Executive Director, Health, Safety and Physical Education, School District of Philadelphia
- Stephen Gregg, Executive Director, SquashSmarts
- Cathy Markey, R.N., M.S.N., Trauma Prevention and Outreach Coordinator, Einstein Medical Center Philadelphia
- Anton Moore, President and Founder, Unity in the Community
- Kim Nixon-Cave, P.T., Ph.D., Program Director, Doctor of Physical Therapy and Post-Professional Education, Thomas Jefferson University
- Paul Offit, M.D., Director, Vaccine Education Center, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
- Catherine Reddick, Board Member, Philadelphia City Rowing
- Tina Sloan Green, President and Co-Founder, Black Women in Sport Foundation
- Senbagam Virudachalam, M.D., M.S.H.P., Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Our thanks to these individuals for their contributions to our communities and for sharing their stories with our student journalists.
Siobhan Reardon, president and director of the Free Library of Philadelphia, will serve as keynote speaker at a book-signing event on Wednesday, May 31, at the Merion Tribute House, 625 Hazelhurst Ave, Merion Station, PA 19066.
