Community Service News

Wellness Center holds health fair

The UNC Wellness Center hosted a health fair for its members and the public in September. This free event offered participants a chance to have their body fat measured, speak to staff about their diet, check their blood pressure and have an evaluation done of their overall fitness.

Commitment to Communities celebration

UNC Health Care held a reception to celebrate the second anniversary of the Commitment to Communities program. The event featured the presentation of keys for a UNC Health Care sponsored Habitat for Humanity home to Danita Thomas with Pulmonary Diagnostics (pictured). The program also featured the recognition of Employee Ambassadors who earned donations of $250 to their favorite charities by volunteers 50 or more hours over the past year. To view a video of the event click here.

UNC Health Care employees support charities

UNC Health Care’s employees contributed more than $280,000 to charity through the NC State Employee Combined Campaign. The annual campaign offers employees a chance to support more than 900 charities through a one-time donation or payroll deduction.

AHA Triangle Metro Heart Walk

More than 600 UNC Health Care employees participated in the AHA Triangle Metro Heart Walk. The team raised more than $40,000 towards the event’s overall total of more than $1 million.

Free Prostate Cancer Screenings provided

UNC’s division of Urologic Surgery provided 329 free prostate screenings as part of Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in September.  It is recommended that all men should begin PSA and digital rectal exam screening by age 50, but African American men and others with a family history of prostate cancer should begin screening by age 40.

Health Careers Symposium

UNC Hospitals hosted more than 200 high school students for its annual Health Careers Symposium. The event is coordinated by the Hospitals Volunteer Association for high school juniors and seniors interested in pursuing careers in health care. Click here to view a video of the 2009 symposium.

Employees help Stuff the Bus for students in need

Employee Ambassadors Jill Riggsbee and Kathy Bryce (pictured) load school supplies onto a bus bound for Orange County Schools. UNC Health Care's employees donated more than 5,000 items as part of the school's first Stuff the Bus campaign.

UNC nurses deliver school supplies to Henderson Middle School, NC

Nurses with UNC Health Care’s Medicine Service collected more than 5,000 items this past August for Henderson Middle School. The nurses collected items ranging from notebooks and pens to personal hygiene products and food for students who may not have anything to eat at home. They also took the additional step of meeting with students interested in pursuing careers in health care. Click here to view a story about a similar collection drive the nurses did in 2010.

UNC Orthopaedics supports local athletes

More than 400 local high school athletes received free physicals this summer as part of their registration for the 2010-2011 seasons. Physicians from UNC Orthopaedics also provided free medical support to 21 different athletic events in 2010-2011.

Helping serve a slice of home
UNC Health Care recently teamed up with Harris Teeter to provide a bit of comfort for those most deserving this Independence Day. UNC sponsored the distribution of 1,600 slices of pie on the Fourth of July to service men and women stationed at Fort Bragg, NC. The donation was made as part of a week-long campaign coordinated by Harris Teeter grocery stores located across central North Carolina. Click here to view a video of our employees lending their support to the campaign.

Making strides in the fight against Breast Cancer

More than 23,000 people participated in the event held June 12 at Meredith College in Raleigh. Combined, UNC and Rex’s team had more than 600 members. Click here to view scenes from the 2009 Race for the Cure.

UNC hosts high school students interested in medicine

The UNC School of Medicine hosted the National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine in April. This 10-day camp offered more than 200 high school students from across that nation a chance to learn about careers in medicine. Students attended lectures, watched a live surgery via the Internet and got hands-on experience in the schools surgery simulation lab. Scholarships to attend the Forum were presented to Chi Le of East Chapel Hill High School and Patsy Williams of Cedar Ridge High School in Hillsborough. Click here to view a video.

Construction completed on second Habitat for Humanity home

UNC Health Care's employees, families and friends have finished construction on a second Habitat for Humanity house in the past two years. The house is owned by Danita Thomas with Pulmonary Diagnostics (pictured above).

The house is part of Phoenix Place a well-designed, affordable subdivision of 50 green-certified homes within the Rogers Road community in Chapel Hill. Phase 1 of the construction includes 17 houses, 14 of which are owned by UNC or UNC Health Care employees.

More than 300 employees, their families and friends built a UNC Health Care sponsored Habitat home in 2010 for Felecia Weaver of the division of Plastic Surgery. Click here to view a video following the construction of Felecia’s house.

Car "crash" teaches students about poor decision making

UNC Air Care participates in dozens of mock crashes at high schools across the state annually during prom season to teach students the consequences of making bad decisions. In recent years the focus of these events has gone beyond underage drinking and drug use to include speeding and cell phone use while driving. Click here for a News 14 Carolina report on a study being done UNC Air Care to measure the effectiveness of these events.
 

Free Head and Neck Cancer screenings provided
The UNC Department of Otolaryngology provided free screenings for Oral, Head and Neck Cancer at UNC Hospital in April. The screenings were done as part of Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week.
 

UNC Wellness Center participates in Senior Services Fair

Staff from the UNC Wellness Center at Meadowmont were performed blood pressure screenings at the Orange County Department on Aging Senior Services Fair at University Mall in Chapel Hill.

Hillsborough student receives scholarship

UNC Health Care presented Patsy Williams of Hillsborough a scholarship valued at $2,500 to attend the National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine at the groundbreaking ceremonies for the UNC Hospitals – Hillsborough Campus. Presenting the scholarship are U.S. Rep. David Price and Dr. William L. Roper, Dean of the UNC School of Medicine. Patsy is a junior at Cedar Ridge High School and is interested in pursuing a career in physical therapy. The Leadership Forum will be hosted by the UNC School of Medicine in June and will be attended by more than 300 students from across the nation.

UNC Latino Health Center coordinates Feria de Salud

The UNC Latino Health Center participated in Feria de Salud at St. Thomas Moore Church in March. The event offered attendees a variety of health education information and screenings.

Special clinic helps children learn the love of cycling

In April, faculty, staff and students from the Physical Therapy departments of the UNC School of Medicine, Duke University and Elon University participated in a Bikeability clinic designed to teach children and adults of varying physical abilities how to safely ride a bike. The event  was held on the track circling Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill and featured vendors and bike safety experts who worked with clinical staff to meet with parents and discuss the best options for them.

UNC staff go back to middle school

Several UNC Health Care employees participated in Gravelly Hill Middle School's annual career day in March. They gave presentations and answered questions about their field, education and the wide range of careers available in health care. Pictured are Brenda Warren, MA; Laura Weisberg, RN, MSN and Kathy Nation, RT. Click here to view a video.

Asheboro student receives scholarship

Asheboro High School senior Isabel Cruz, was awarded a $1,000 scholarship from UNC Health Care at the North Carolina Society of Hispanic Professional’s Education Summit in March. Cruz’s dream is to one day become a radiology technician or physician’s assistant.

Staff meet with students at NC HOSA conference

Several employees participated in the North Carolina Health Occupations Student Association’s annual State Conference in March. This event drew more than 2,000 high school and college students to Greensboro to participate in interactive activities, skills competitions and meet with health professionals like those from UNC. Click here to view a video.

Students learn about careers in medicine at HPREP

Members of UNC Hospital’s Nursing Diversity Council spoke with high school students during the Health Professions Recruitment and Exposure Program (HPREP). This program is held every Saturday for seven weeks starting each January and is coordinated by the Student National Medical Association chapter at the UNC School of Medicine. HPREP is free and open to all students and was created specifically to serve underrepresented minority high school students. Click here to view a video.