Through cooking lessons, grocery store visits, and even take-home kitchen supplies, 
Dr. Artz is educating participants about how they can avoid weight gain and lead healthy lifestyles. 

Students in Carter County are learning important skills about how to select and prepare healthy foods thanks to a partnership between an ETSU Health provider and the Boys and Girls Club of Elizabethton. 


Dr. Evelyn Artz, an ETSU Health provider who is board certified in pediatrics, pediatric endocrinology and lifestyle medicine, has a passion for helping children learn to make healthy choices.  


She received a Community Access to Child Health Program grant from the American Academy of Pediatrics that allowed her to develop an interactive after-school program in partnership with the Elizabethton Boys and Girls Club. 


“As a pediatric endocrinologist, I am now addressing concerns related to obesity and lifestyle issues that are very different than in my early years of practice,” Dr. Artz said. “I now see patients with type 2 diabetes in increasing frequency and at a significantly younger age as well as the other related conditions such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure.” 


She believes that many adolescents have the motivation to change, but lack the knowledge of how impactful their lifestyle decisions may be. 


Through cooking lessons, grocery store visits, and even take-home kitchen supplies, Dr. Artz is educating participants about how they can avoid weight gain and lead healthy lifestyles.   


“I know this project is helping our youth and their families from the feedback we have heard from our parents and guardians,” said Nicole Hensley, Teen Director at the local Club. “Dr. Artz's program goes beyond here at the Club and directly to the homes, because every visit she sends home healthy, fresh groceries with our Club members. These take-home bags are filled with ingredients our kids used in their cooking project for that visit.  Our families have reached out to us and told us how appreciative of these groceries they are!” 


Residents and medical students with ETSU’s Quillen College of Medicine have assisted Dr. Artz, giving them the opportunity to appreciate the importance of community outreach as providers.    


Dr. Artz hopes to continue and expand the program, with the goal of guiding participants to a healthier future. 
With 30 clinical sites and more than 300 health care providers, ETSU Health is on the front lines of efforts to improve the health of Northeast Tennessee by offering leading-edge health care in dozens of specialties. 

East Tennessee State University was founded in 1911 with a singular mission: to improve the quality of life for people in the region and beyond. Through its world-class health sciences programs and interprofessional approach to health care education, ETSU is a highly respected leader in rural health research and practices. The university also boasts nationally ranked programs in the arts, technology, computing, and media studies. ETSU serves approximately 14,000 students each year and is ranked among the top 10 percent of colleges in the nation for students graduating with the least amount of debt.

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