TMAA Health Promotions
The TMA Alliance (TMAA) supports its county affiliates in their efforts to improve the health of Tennesseans through state health grants awarded annually. Our physician partners in TMA contribute $8,000 and the Alliance adds another $2,000 to offer our county affiliates $10,000 for local health projects. Applications for the TMAA Health Grants will be due on March 15, 2009. For more information, contact TMAA Vice President of Health Promotions, Sharon Gerkin, through the TMAA office.
The Alliances across the State have been busy with various Health Initiatives, Projects, and Distributions this past year. Two of the major Health Focuses generated by the American Medical Association Alliance have been Screen Out!, a campaign to remove smoking from Youth-rated movies and fighting obesity in America's Adult and Children populations. The Screen Out! initiative will continue until October, 2009 with petitions, letters and endorsements being secured by our entire membership to reach the eyes and ears of the movie studio executives, state and local organizations and parents.
In addition, our State participated in the 2007 Walking Challenge sponsored by the AMAA. The challenge was to walk the distance from the shores of Lake Michigan to the U.S. Capitol, a total of 705 miles. Our team of five alliance members walked almost three times as far, a full 2400 miles!
At this time last year, the TMAA awarded Health Grants to the following Alliances: To Chattanooga for the creation of a Yoga Club to promote relaxation, coordination, balance and exercise for children and adults; To Coffee County to help supply the nursery at the Harton Regional Medical Center; To Franklin County to complete a CD focusing on the importance of education to good health; To Knoxville for "Baby Think It Over" which provides infant simulators for use in the Knox County Middle Schools; To Nashville for "Be a Winner-Shape Up For Life"; To Rutherfordford/Stones River for the Family Fun Run and Health Fair; To Washington-Unicoi-Johnson for helping with supplies at the outreach clinic of ETSU's Clinic of Nursing; and finally, to West Tennessee Consolidated to help with a room in the West Tennessee Children's Museum dedicated in healthcare. As you can see, these alliances have been having a busy year.
Chattanooga/Hamilton County Medical Society Alliance
This alliance gave a $15,000.00 grant to Project Access which provides to health care for low income and uninsured residents. A $25,000.00 grant was also given to Creative Discovery Museum which will support a new health exhibit called "The Doctor's Office." Various other health projects were completed along with a Families Shelter Holiday Party at Christmas.
Coffee County Medical Alliance
Focus will be on these five county projects: (1) two scholarships will be provided to local students going into the medical field, (2) support of the United Way, (3) Christmas Giving Tree for parents who are single income families and are in school full time, (4) providing milk for the Tullahoma Day Care, and (5) support for Trinity Day Care, a day facility for adults who need care givers.
Franklin County Medical Alliance
“Healthy Snacks for Winners” will team up with school guidance counselors to provide all second and third grade students in the Franklin County Schools with the AMAA sponsored booklets, "Be a Winner." In addition, each child will receive a sticker and a healthy snack to reinforce the healthy eating portion of the lessons.
Henry-Carroll Medical Society Alliance
"Teen Summit Day" is a full day of health-related sessions for all ninth grade students in this county. Topics covered include handling stress, Internet dangers, overcoming handicaps, making healthy choices, overcoming depression, and the dangers of drugs. This is the fifteenth year that this alliance has done a health related workshop for students.
Knoxville Academy of Medicine Alliance
The alliance distributed SAVE materials to 39 elementary schools throughout Knox County. In addition Screen Out! petitions were signed and collected at FashionDrama and fairs and festivals. The Reality Works, formerly "Baby Think It Over", project was utilized in the Knox County Middle Schools.
Nashville Academy of Medicine Alliance
The alliance continues to support the Adventure Science Center, the local children's museum, and its exhibit "Body Quest". They also support the Nashville General Hospital at Meharry's Mammograms in May which offers no-cost mammograms to women unable to pay. The Physicians Health Program, a program that provides advocacy and support to impaired physicians and their families is included in their support. Along with other projects, they sponsor the "Be a Winner: Shape Up for Life" program and art contest.
Rutherford County and Stones River Medical Alliance
The alliance sponsors and decorates a room at the local women's abuse center. The main health project is the Family Health Fair and Family Run which is a free all day event at the local chidren's museum.
Scott County Medical Society Alliance
"Not in My Home, Not in My Town" is a campaign to raise community awareness concerning the problem of domestic violence in Scott County and to raise funds to assist the Scott County Women’s Shelter in meeting the needs of victims and children. An event in October, 2005 raised over $20,000 for this cause.
Washington-Unicoi-Johnson County Medical Alliance
This alliance participated in the AMAA Walking Challenge with two teams. They continued the Faux Paw's Internet Safety Program by keeping school counselors supplied with information. A Health Promotions Fair was held at the Barnes and Noble Bookstore. Members of the Alliance greeted customers and hosted tables displaying Health Promotion Projects such as Faux Paw's Internet Safety and Hands Are Not For Hitting and Bullying coloring booklets. Screen Out! petitions were also available. Books for the Johnson City Downtown Clinic waiting room were purchased for children to enjoy.
Weakley County Medical Alliance
The alliance decorated a tree at the Carl Perkins Child Abuse Center. They have also been getting a lot of exercise by completing a landscape project at the train caboose in Virginia Weldon Park.
West Tennessee Consolidated Medical Assembly Alliance
The alliance raised $$ at their holiday party for WRAP, collected toiletries for Red Cross Comfort Kits, donated "Hands are not for Hitting" activity books to Carl Perkins Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse, participated in the Screen Out! Petition Drive to make PG and PG-13 movies smoke-free, and helped raise over $4,000.00 for medical education.