Supporting Health Initiatives & Nurturing Equity (SHINE) Program

Health Equity is Our Priority

NCHD received funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for the first year in the five-year Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) cooperative agreement. The REACH funding will allow NCHD to start the Supporting Health Initiatives & Nurturing Equity (SHINE) Program with the goal of improving health, preventing chronic diseases, and reducing health disparities among the African American population in Baldwin, Hancock and Washington Counties.

Partner With SHINE

SHINE is always looking to work with new partners across our service area. Citizens, organizations, faith-based groups, businesses and other agencies withing Baldwin, Hancock and Washington Counties are encouraged to partner with us. Interested parties should email SHINE’s Program Manager or use the registration form.

Contact SHINE

SHINE Main Office Lines: 706-444-2200 or 478-776-0093

Title	Name	Email	Phone Number
SHINE Program Manager	Alicia Wright	alicia.wright4@dph.ga.gov	478-550-7550
Administrative Assistant	Williesha Hatcher	williesha.hatcher@dph.ga.gov	478-832-7546
Nutrition Coordinator	Mankesia Solomon	mankesia.solomon@dph.ga.gov	478-832-7573
ECE Coordinator	Kristine Garner	kristine.garner1@dph.ga.gov	478-538-8000
Active Living Coordinator	Morgan Scott	morgan.scott@dph.ga.gov	478-245-7803
Vaccine Promotion Coordinator	Ted Reid	ted.reid@dph.ga.gov	478-952-0921
Communications Specialist	Hamdy Inusah	hamdy.inusah@dph.ga.gov	478-303-0449
District Program Manager	Karen Ebey-Tessendorf	karen.ebey-tessendorf@dph.ga.gov	478-751-6036

Meet the SHINE Team

	Alicia Wright is the Program Manager for the SHINE program where she collaborates with the CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity (DNPAO), county health departments, community coalitions, universities, city & county governments, faith-based organizations, and non-profits. Previously, Alicia worked as NCHD’s Health Equity Program Coordinator, Middle Georgia Community Food Bank’s Agency Relations Manager, and Macon-Bibb County Health Department’s Health Education Supervisor, Chronic Disease Health Educator, & Teen Health Educator. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Georgia Southwestern State University in Americus, GA, and her Master of Public Health from Walden University in Minnesota, MN. Alicia enjoys traveling, cooking, watching sports, and most importantly spending time with family and friends.
	Williesha Hatcher is the Administrative Assistant with the SHINE Program, having previously worked for NCHD under the REACH Cooperative Grant as the Administrative Assistant. Ms. Hatcher works closely with all staff to ensure that all their needs are met, and she has spent the last year perfecting her craft in her role. She obtained an Associate’s degree in General Studies from Georgia Military College and is currently working on obtaining a Bachelor’s degree in Health Administration at The University of Phoenix. In her spare time, she spends time with her 7-year-old son; taking him to recreational basketball games and doing lots of adventurous things as he keeps her busy.
	Mankesia Solomon is the Nutrition Coordinator for the SHINE Program. Previously, Mankesia worked as a customer service representative for the NCHD Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), where she provided pre- and post-natal moms, infants, and young children under five access to healthy food, breastfeeding support, and encouragement. She has also worked as a public health analyst for The Mahogany Group where she developed and managed multiple projects, conducted public health research, workforce development, etc. Mankesia has a Bachelor of Science in Public Health from Georgia College and State University and will graduate in May 2024 with a Master of Public Health from Virginia Union University. Mankesia enjoys reading, playing video games, and spending quality time with her family.
	Kristine (“Kristin”) Garner is the Early Care and Education (ECE) Coordinator for the SHINE program. She has worked for the State of Georgia for eight years. She has worked with at-risk youth for two years with Youth Challenge Academy (Department of Defense), and six years with NCHD in the areas of Breastfeeding, WIC, COVID Contact Tracing and Health Equity. She is also a Certified Car Seat Technician who works with local health departments, in communities, police departments, etc. making sure all babies are buckled up safely. She is currently working to complete her Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education at Grand Canyon University. In her spare time, she loves to read and knit, although most of her spare time is spent with her three children.
	Morgan Scott is the Active Living Coordinator for the SHINE Program. Her role is to provide support to develop/adapt new and improved plans and policies that enhance everyday opportunities for physical activity. She obtained two degrees from Georgia College and State University, a Bachelor of Science in Public Health and a Master of Science in Health and Human Performance with a concentration in Health Promotion. Prior to joining NCHD, she worked in the Public Health Associate Program (PHAP) with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention serving as the Project Specialist working on quality improvement with the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board. Morgan enjoys shopping, creating her own natural haircare growth oil, and going walking.
	Terrell (“Ted”) Reid is the Vaccine Promotion Coordinator for the SHINE Program. He originally joined the REACH-funded program in Hancock County in February 2022 as Community Outreach Specialist. He was the driving force behind the Hancock County Health Ambassadors Program created to increase COVID-19 vaccine rates among young African American men in Hancock County. Ted is a retired Master Sergeant from the United States Air Force with more than 23 years of service. He received a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Management and a Minor in Supply Chain Management from Clayton State University in Marrow, GA. In his leisure time he loves classic vehicle restoration and fishing.
	Hamdy Inusah is the Communications Specialist for the SHINE program. Prior to joining NCHD and SHINE, she served as the Communications and Marketing Assistant for Duke University’s Global Women’s Health Technologies, a global health lab that aspires to making cancer diagnosis, prevention, and treatment more accessible and more effective for women worldwide. She assisted in the planning and coordination of events, social media content, and stakeholder correspondence for the lab. During this time, she also graduated from Duke University with a Bachelor of Science in Biology, Global Health, and Medical Sociology. In her free time, Hamdy enjoys traveling, cooking, and attending concerts.
	Karen Ebey-Tessendorf is NCHD’s District Program Manager and serves as Project Director for the SHINE Program. Karen started with NCHD in 2003 as Emergency Preparedness Director and transitioned to District Program Manager in 2013. Ms. Ebey-Tessendorf has a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry from Wheaton College in Wheaton, IL and a Master of Public Health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has more than ten years of international experience in Haiti, South Africa, Sierra Leone, and Mozambique. She worked for private voluntary agencies, international organizations, and the United States Agency for International Development as a health educator, community organizer, program coordinator, and administrator. Her areas of expertise include public health education, community development, and program management.

Catch Up, Stay Up!

The mission of the Catch Up, Stay Up campaign is to help adults take care of their health and the health of everyone in their community by getting vaccinated. Immunizations are important for protection against preventable illnesses, and whether it’s catching up on missed vaccines or staying current with routine shots, every vaccine matters.

Don’t wait! Protect yourself, your loved ones, and people you encounter on a regular basis by catching up and staying up on your routine vaccines. Together, we’re working to keep our community healthy and prevent diseases that vaccines can protect against.

Catch-Up Schedule

Not sure where to start? Take a look at the CDC’s Recommended Vaccinations for Adults and contact your local health department to find out what vaccines you and your family need to catch up on.

Explore North Central Health District’s Immunization FAQ page for information about what immunizations are available, vaccine cost, and vaccination records.

CDC’s REACH Program Funding

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has selected NCHD as one 2023’s Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) grant recipients. NCHD is one of 41 communities across 27 states and the District of Columbia. The funding is designed to help organizations plan and carry out local, culturally appropriate programs to address various health issues among racial and ethnic minority groups. REACH’s goal is to improve health where people live, learn, work and play. NCHD was awarded $1,021,899 to implement community health improvement strategies in Baldwin, Hancock and Washington Counties through the SHINE Program.

What is the REACH Grant?

The REACH grant is awarded to programs and organizations working to reduce racial and ethnic health disparities in their communities. Through REACH, awardees plan and execute local, culturally appropriate programs to address a wide range of health issues among African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, Asian Americans, American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Pacific Islanders.

REACH & SHINE

As one of 41 REACH recipients, NCHD will implement these proven public health strategies:

Healthy food choices easier everywhere—promoting food service and nutrition guidelines, expanding fruit and vegetable voucher incentive and/or produce prescription programs.
Safe and accessible physical activity—connecting pedestrian, bicycle, or transit transportation networks to everyday destinations.
Early care and education (ECE) settings—improving nutrition and physical activity and increasing breastfeeding.
COVID-19, flu, and other routine vaccines—increasing awareness, confidence, demand, and access to routinely recommended adult vaccines, for racial and ethnic groups experiencing disparities in immunization, including uninsured adults.

SHINE Strategies

Active Living

The Active Living portion of the SHINE Program will implement these proven public health strategies:

Access to safe places for physical activity
- Working with partners to conduct health equity assessments.
- Assessing concerns related to increasing physical activity through community design by engaging community organizations and experts who can address these concerns.
- Assessing access to parks, trails, greenways, and recreational facilities and working with community coalitions to create or improve safe access to these locations.

Establishing partnerships and collaborations
- Collaborating with partners to put into action new or improved plans and policies, activity-friendly districts, and/or other activities to create activity-friendly communities.
- Working with partners to update zoning codes to include activity friendly design.
- Working with partners to establish or update comprehensive plans.
- Establishing, expanding, or participating in a cross-sectoral coalition including people affected by inequities in community design for physical activity and the public health, transportation, community planning, and parks and recreation sectors.

Ensuring bicycle routes, transit transportation, and sidewalks to everyday destinations
- Roadways without sidewalks are more than twice as likely to have pedestrian crashes as sites with sidewalks on both sides of the street.
- Reliable transportation is needed for rural residents to access healthcare services, consumer services, employment and educational opportunities, and social services.
- Bike paths ensure the safety of cyclists, promote active lifestyles, boost local economies, and contribute to a greener environment.

The Physical Activity Strategy creates or enhances access to places for physical activity and provides information to encourage their use. Places can include public parks and trails, fitness and recreational facilities, schools and universities, malls, senior centers, and worksites. Information may involve training, incentives, and teaching about healthy behaviors. Worksites, school districts, early childhood and education (ECE) facilities, organizations, and community coalitions can improve access to safe places to be physically active for young people and adults.

The SHINE Program will work closely with the local health department, other community partners, and existing coalitions. The focus during the first 6-12 months of the program will be on building relationships with community partners, learning about existing initiatives and community resources, and assessing needs related to the strategies listed above.

Please feel free to contact me with questions, concerns, suggestions, or further discussion. If you interested in becoming a SHINE partner, visit our website at NCHD52.org/SHINE.

Morgan Scott
Active Living Coordinator/Supporting Health Initiatives & Nurturing Equity (SHINE) Program
Cell 478-245-7803/morgan.scott@dph.ga.gov

Early Childhood Education

The Early Childhood Education (ECE) portion of the SHINE Program will implement these proven public health strategies:

Implement or strengthen policies that support breastfeeding.
- Georgia’s average breastfeeding initiation rate is 83%, while Baldwin county’s average is 64.7%, Hancock County is 46.8% and Washington county is 58.7%.
- Certain factors make a difference in whether and how long babies are breastfed, including Education and encouragement, policies and support in the workplace and childcare centers, and access to community support.

Nutrition and Physical Activity
- Young children who are overweight in kindergarten are 4 times more likely to have obesity by 8th grade than those who are not overweight in kindergarten.
- Starting healthy habits for physical activity and nutrition in early childhood influences activity levels as children grow.

Farm to ECE
- Farm to early childcare and education supports cognitive, physical and social-emotional development, school readiness and lifelong healthy eating.
- Farm to early care and education does not just impact the children but also their families and parents by developing lifelong eating habits, nutrition education and exposure to local foods.

We know that the ECE setting can directly influence what children eat and drink and how active they are. This builds the foundation for healthy habits.

Please feel free to contact me with questions, concerns, suggestions, or further discussion. If you interested in becoming a SHINE partner, visit our website at NCHD52.org/SHINE.

Kristine Garner
ECE Coordinator/Supporting Health Initiatives & Nurturing Equity (SHINE) program
Cell 478-538-8000/Kristine.garner1@dph.ga.gov

Nutrition

The Nutrition portion of the SHINE Program will implement these proven public health strategies:

Promote food service & nutrition guidelines
- Applying food service or nutrition guidelines in food banks and pantries can improve healthy food access where foods and beverages are sold, served, and distributed.
- Healthy eating patterns help people live longer, strengthen their immune systems, and have fewer chronic diseases
- 1 in 10 US adults eats enough fruits and vegetables every day.
- Among adolescents, 7% met the recommendation for fruits, while only 2% met the recommendation for vegetables

Expansion of fruit and vegetable voucher programs
- Improve both affordability and access to healthier food
- Engage community members, food systems representatives, and other experts to ensure that initiatives promote equity in the food system
- Increase market demand for fruits and vegetables, which can increase sales for local farmers, food hubs, aggregators, distributors, and retailers

Expansion of produce prescription programs
- Support policies that increase participation in incentive or prescription initiatives
- Improves health outcomes by reducing financial burden and promoting the consumption of nutrient-rich foods
- Increased fruit and vegetable consumption can reduce the progression of chronic disease and is associated with lowered risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, stroke, and premature death

The goal is to get as much community support as needed to help improve access to healthy fruits and vegetables, promote food service and nutrition guidelines, and enhance the already available incentives in local communities.

Please feel free to contact me with questions, concerns, suggestions, or further discussion. If you are interested in becoming a SHINE partner, visit our website at NCHD52.org/SHINE.

Mankesia Brown
Nutrition Coordinator/Supporting Health Initiatives & Nurturing Equity (SHINE) Program
Cell 478-832-7573/Mankesia.brown2@dph.ga.gov

Vaccine Promotion

The Vaccine Promotion portion of the SHINE Program will implement these proven public health strategies:

Increase awareness, confidence, demand, and access for COVID-19, flu, and other routinely recommended adult vaccines.
- Educate and empower trusted voices in the communities.
- Identify and train local vaccine promotion ambassadors to share information in their communities.

Enhance provider partnerships and increase opportunities for vaccines.
- Local Health Departments, CORE, Drug Stores
- Vaccine clinic

Findings show that one of the primary reasons people get vaccinated is to protect themselves and to protect their loved ones. Our target is racial and ethnic groups experiencing disparities in immunization to include uninsured and under insured adults.