Maryland Day 2014

Volunteers at four SPH booths helped participants
 in the Maryland on the Move Challenge
find their way around campus.

The 16th annual Maryland Day, held on April 26, showcased the School of Public Health’s initiatives and commitment to improving health access and information in the Maryland community. The School of Public Health and its community partners offered more than 25 events and activities, including a gymnastics exhibition by Gymkana, strength testing and other fitness challenges and health screenings for BMI, blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose, oral cancer and more. This was the first year that the School of Public Health and the University Health Center partnered to provide a wide variety of screenings and educational materials to Maryland Day attendees.

New events launched by the School of Public Health this year included: 

• Yoga on the Mall
• Sari Filtration for Safe Drinking Water (as practiced by Bangladeshi women to prevent cholera)
• Health Equity Drum Circle
• How Clean Are Your Hands? The "Glogerm" light shows how well (or not) you've washed.
• Maryland on the Move walking challenge

Maryland on the Move
Congratulations to Nia Norris, a local student in 9th grade, who won the raffle for a $200 gift certificate for completing the first Maryland on the Move Challenge held at Maryland Day. Nia was one of more than 30 participants who walked over 3,000 steps around campus to visit SPH booths at McKeldin Mall, the Health Center, the Animal Sciences building, and Byrd Stadium while completing a story about how families stay healthy together. Since walking a lot is an inherent part of Maryland Day attendance, we look forward to more participation in the challenge next year!


Health Equity Drum Circle

UMD President Wallace Loh (right) and
Dr. Stephen Thomas
get participants in the
Health Equity Drum Circle fired up.

Approximately 900 to 1,000 people gathered in Byrd Stadium for the Health Equity Drum Circle, with 650 to 700 participating in the largest hand drum ensemble in state history. Stephen Thomas, director of the Maryland Center for Health Equity, enthusiastically led the ensemble, with help from local expert percussionists including Baba Ras D, Tom Shelley, and Kristen Arant. The event raised awareness about disparities in health in underserved communities and promoted the importance of community building in achieving health equity. Photos from the drum circle are available on the Center for Health Equity Flickr page. Photos and videos are also available on the SPH Flickr Maryand Day 2014 album.
 
Health Fair

Students from the HLTH 391 Section 0401 class (pictured right), taught by Lecturer Sylvette LaTouche-Howard, teamed with community partners to present an interactive health fair in front of St. Mary's Hall. The fair featured free health screenings (blood pressure and glucose, among others), and information on health and wellness disparities that Prince George's county residents commonly face, including gun violence, adolescent mental health, intimate partner violence, self harm, nutrition, sexual health education, healthy living for kids, anxiety and stress, depression, and the Affordable Care Act.  This was the second year that SPH students organized a health fair at Maryland Day, successfully engaging hundreds of students, faculty, staff and campus visitors on local health issues. Congratulations to everyone involved on the successful fair!

Gymkana exhibition
A performance by our Gymkana troupe, always a fan favorite, drew an even larger than usual audience for acts including vaulting, teeter board, partner balancing, dancing and chairs. The athletes put on a high-energy entertaining show while demonstrating the their commitment to a healthy drug-, alcohol, and tobacco-free lifestyle. Congratulations to Gymkana for winning the inaugural Best Maryland Day Student Event award from campus!

Gymkana shows off their balance and strength on McKeldin Mall.

Community partners
The School of Public Health would like to thank our community partners who exhibited at Maryland Day and helped make many of the health screenings possible.They include:

• The University of Maryland School of Dentistry provided comprehensive oral cancer exams.
• Health professionals from the Doctors Community Hospital distributed health information and gave free screenings.
• Representatives from the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps Officers program helped inform visitors about the Surgeon General's National Prevention Strategy and offered interactive activities including a stationary bike that could power an iPod, and nutrition games for kids.
• The Institute for a Healthiest Maryland offered activities and information addressing hypertension/high cholesterol management, nutrition information sessions,
  and tobacco cessation materials.



Testudo wasn't the only
mascot seen at MD Day!
Dr. Bear visited from
Children's National Medical Center.

• The Children's National Medical Center provided information on preventive care.  
• The Maryland Healthy Smiles dental program, part of Maryland's Medicaid Dental Program DentaQuest, provided oral health information for kids and families.
• The Sexually Transmitted Infections CommunityCoalition of Metropolitan Washington offered HIV testing at the Health Center.

Health information and screenings were also provided by the following organizations led by School of Public Health students and faculty:

• The Community Health Awareness,Message, and Prevention (CHAMP) Lab provided information on preventative care and early cancer screening.
• The UMD Prevention Research Center's Sexual Health Education and Prevention student group tested people's  "condom sense" at the Health Center.

More photos from the day's events can be viewed on the SPH Flickr page. 

Thanks to everyone who attended and participated in the events for making a fun and memorable Maryland Day! 

Thanks also to all of the SPH faculty, staff and student volunteers that made it all possible!