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Health district worker honored
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She works every day to help students live healthier lives, and now Marsha Pierce is receiving recognition for her efforts.
Pierce is the school health coordinator for the Coastal Health District, and recipient of the GlaxoSmithKline 2007 Georgia Public Health Staff Recognition Award. She received a plaque and a grant during the Georgia Public Health Association’s annual conference in Savannah on Sept. 7.
The award recognizes outstanding service in preventive health activities in the recipient’s local communities.
As school health coordinator, Pierce focuses on student health through education, outreach programs, and building relationships with school nurses. Pierce has helped to create a coordinated school health program in every county, which includes establishing school health councils in many of the schools. Some of her programs include asthma classes and World Asthma Day events to educate the students, families and staff; oral health education programs to improve the leading health problem among school-aged children; nutrition and physical activity programs to reduce childhood obesity; screenings for vision and hearing; and plans to increase the percentage of eligible children who are enrolled in Medicaid.
“Children are better learners when they’re healthy, so Marsha Pierce is a tremendous asset to our health promotion team,” Cristina Gibson, health promotion and disease prevention coordinator for the Coastal Health District, said. “Her programs not only teach children healthier habits, but they foster a health-focused environment in the schools. That’s critical to each child’s success.”
Pierce is a registered nurse, and has been with the Coastal Health District 18 years, working in school health for the past three years.
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