CHCS - Perspectives - Summer/Fall 2014

PERSPECTIVES • SUMMER–FALL 2014 42 PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT Jacksonville The class of 2015 hosted its inaugural Miles for Medicine 5K race and Health Fair on June 7 to raise funds for the medical outreach trip to Nicaragua it participated in this August through an organization called Global Medical Training. While in Nicaragua, the students volunteered to perform histories and physical exams while collaborating with other health care team members. They were also able to apply knowledge and skills learned during their didactic year by assessing and treating underserved patients. The class of 2015 Student Government Association inaugurated the event with the hope of passing this legacy down to future classes. In total, 138 people registered for the race, while 111 participants actually ran or walked. The participants had a fantastic time as racers wore white event shirts and were doused with various colors and water throughout the race, crossing the finish line plastered in color. To add to the fun, each racer was given a squirt gun to spray fel- low racers. The top three male and female finishers were awarded prizes from some of our sponsors such as coupons and certificates to Your Pie Pizza and the Jacksonville Running Company. After the 3.1-mile race was completed, participants visited our health fair booths, which provided free blood-pressure checks, nutritional guidelines and recipes, smoking- and tobacco-cessation pamphlets, diabetes prevention information, and skin cancer pre- vention education. The Miles for Medicine 5K raised approximately $4,350 from sponsorships and registrations thanks to our program director, Kerry Whitaker, M.S.H.S., PA- C, as well as the rest of our faculty and staff members who provided their support from the day our plan- ning broke ground all the way through race day. for Medicine 5K Students Host Race to Fund-Raise for Nicaragua Medical Outreach Trip 1. Wanda Cloven, administrative coordinator, and students Bryn Murphy and Tracy Torella register race participants. 2. Whitney Ball takes Angela sheffield’s blood pressure at a free blood-pressure screening after the race. 3. Colorful class of 2016 students after they crossed the Miles for Medicine finish line. By Ashley shaneyfelt, Class of 2015 Historian 1 Miles 2 3