Tribe assisting with HealthCorps volunteers in Chickasaw Nation high schools

This article appeared in the March 2019 edition of the Chickasaw Times

SULPHUR, Okla. - Ivan Silva joined the ranks of HealthCorps to gain public health experience before he begins medical school.

Through the organization, Mr. Silva works with 3,400 students at Upland (California) High School, instilling the organization’s key foundational principles of nutrition, physical activity and mental resilience through classes, clubs and mentorship.

Mr. Silva, a native of Highland, Calif., was among dozens of HealthCorps coordinators based at schools across the U.S., who converged in Chickasaw Country for a weeklong training last month.

The HealthCorps Annual Winter Training, Jan. 28-31 at the Chickasaw Retreat and Conference Center, brought together HealthCorps coordinators, staff and board members for professional development training. A midweek luncheon provided an opportunity for stakeholders to hear firsthand the positive impact of the program.

The Chickasaw Nation and HealthCorps joined forces six years ago to transform health outcomes for students in selected schools in southern Oklahoma. The Chickasaw Nation currently sponsors HealthCorps programs in Kingston, Byng, Latta, Tishomingo and Davis Public Schools.

HealthCorps is a national health and wellness nonprofit organization founded by Dr. Mehmet Oz.

Gov. Bill Anoatubby said the program aligns with the tribe’s mission.

“We are always looking for ways to improve the quality of life of our people, and we want to improve the quality of life of the people who are around us, Gov. Anoatubby said.

“HealthCorps does just that. We are so thankful we have the opportunity to see firsthand this beneficial program which empowers young people change their lives for the better.”

Macheala Taylor serves as HealthCorps coordinator for Kingston School. A Tishomingo native and Choctaw citizen, Ms. Taylor was born in Ada at a Chickasaw Nation medical facility.

“The Chickasaw Nation has been a part of my life since the very beginning,” she said.

Ms. Taylor said she appreciated the program’s overarching goal of giving back to the community.

Shelby Gibson is the HealthCorps coordinator for Latta Public Schools. A native of Gilbert, Ariz., Ms. Gibson earned a degree in Public Health from Brigham Young University.

Erica Sun serves Tishomingo High School as a HealthCorps coordinator. A Detroit native, she graduated from the University of Minnesota with a bachelor’s in dance, life science, and psychology. She earned a master’s degree in exercise physiology from Eastern Michigan University.

During the Winter Training, Ms. Sun led a presentation about the Chickasaw Nation’s Family Mealtime Blessings Campaign, an initiative to encourage and promote conversations around the dinner table.

Through the initiative, HealthCorps coordinators work with their schools and communities through cooking programs, video projects and community events. The five participating high schools also conduct pre- and post-intervention surveys to determine changes in students’ perception of family meals and barriers to family mealtime.

Mechel Dickerson works with Byng Schools students. A native of Ada, she is a graduate of Oklahoma State University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education health & safety.

Candace Shy serves as HealthCorps Coordinator for Davis Schools. A Georgia native, she earned a degree in health and community wellness from the University of West Georgia.

“HealthCorps has been the biggest blessing of my life,” she said.

About HealthCorps

Founded in 2003 by Dr. Mehmet Oz, host of “The Dr. Oz Show” and attending physician at New York Presbyterian-Columbia Medical Center, HealthCorps is a nonprofit organization whose goals include “make students happier and more productive by giving them everyday skills in nutrition, fitness and resilience.”

HealthCorps’ mission is “to unleash the power of America’s youth so they can live productive lives.”

To learn more about HealthCorps programs, please visit www.healthcorps.org.