VCOM-Carolinas students honored with public health award

Vanessa Hortian, OMS II, and Meghan Milligan, OMS II, who attend the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine—Carolinas Campus, will receive the 2016 Excellence in Public Health Award from the U.S. Public Health Service Physicians Advisory Committee this May.

Hortian and Milligan are the creators of a public health program called Promoting Lifelong Activity in Youth (PLAY), which targets underserved children in Spartanburg, South Carolina, where VCOM—Carolinas is located. PLAY encourages kids to enjoy and understand the benefits of exercise and develop a positive sense of self that inspires them to make healthy choices.

VCOM reports that the program is based on osteopathic principles, including the concept that mental, physical and emotional factors all play a role in good health. PLAY is currently being deployed in partnership with Meeting Street Academy, a charter school in Spartanburg.

To learn more, read VCOM’s press release about Hortian and Millian’s selection for the award.