PR 2006 Jun U1
Shelton State Faculty Members Receive Grant
Tuscaloosa - Gladys Hill, Assistant Dean of Health Services, and Jackie Williams, nursing faculty at Shelton State Community College have received a grant from the Alabama League for Nursing to establish a 12-month health promotion project with six Tuscaloosa area African-American churches.
The Health promotion/preventive medicine activities will focus on providing free literature and health screenings on church grounds.
Diseases such as Heart Disease, Hypertension, Cancers, Diabetes Mellitus and AIDS/HIV will be presented during the year according to the Department of Health and Human Services Health Promotion Calendar. Blood pressure, glucose and cholesterol screenings, cooking healthy foods, lecturers, displays, and the dissemination of pamphlets will be utilized to present topics. It is estimated that through this spiritual based, preventive medicine effort, more than 2,000 persons of all ages, economic status, occupations will participate during each activity. The six churches will be comprised of various denominations of faith.
"The purpose of this community project will be to increase awareness and knowledge regarding five diseases associated with being the leading causes of deaths for most Americans and ranks disproportionately among minorities," said Hill and Williams in their application.
Hill received a B.S. degree from the University of Alabama and began her career in nursing at West Alabama General Hospital in Northport.
After receiving a Masters degree from Mississippi University for Women, she embarked on teaching others the practice of nursing. The last two decades of her career have been dedicated to nursing education.
From 1984 to 1994, Mrs. Hill taught in the Associate Degree Nursing Program at Shelton State and in 1994 became Director of the Shelton State Community College Nursing Programs. She has successfully guided the nursing faculty and staff through several transition periods as the college changed and grew.
A recipient of the "Lamplighter Award," Mrs. Hill is active in the Alabama League for Nursing, the Alabama State Nurses Association, the Alabama Council of Administrators of Professional Nursing Education Programs, and the Alabama Council of Practical Nursing Educators where she currently serves as President. She was recently appointed to the Alabama College System Project Q.P.A. Committee for Health Professions, the Nursing Education Advisory Committee and has served on the Advisory Committee for the Alabama Board of Nursing.
Jackie Williams has been on the faculty of Shelton State Community College since 1991. Prior to joining the nursing faculty at Shelton State she was special Programs Director/Clinical Nursing Coordinator for West Alabama Health Services, Inc. She has also worked as a Medical/Surgical Nurse for DCH Regional Medical Center and as Clinical Instructor for the University of Alabama College of Nursing.
Williams has been active in numerous organizations including:
Shelton State Community College Alumni Association - Board Member; National Student Nurses' Association, West Alabama Sickle Cell Foundation; West Alabama AIDS Outreach, Inc. Speakers Bureau; American Nurses' Association & Alabama State Nurses' Association; National alumni AIDS Prevention Project; Alabama Gerontological Society; Women's Health Forum of West Alabama; American Heart Association; Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society and the American Lung Association.
Active as a workshop presenter and sought after as a speaker, Williams was a nominee for the "Dr. and Mrs. John Todd Award for Exceptional Achievement in Teaching" at Shelton State.
"Our nursing faculty continues to provide leadership throughout the state and their service to our West Alabama community cannot be overestimated. We are all very proud of the work of Ms. Hill and Ms. Williams and congratulate them on this grant," said Camille Cochrane, Dean of Instruction at Shelton State Community College.
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