The Northeast Region’s Local Health Departments celebrated being recognized as Age-Friendly Public Health Systems through Trust for America’s Health Age-Friendly Public Health System Recognition program. The event took place on January 31 at The Brinkley Center. Dr. Ralph Alvarado, University of Tennessee Chattanooga School of Nursing, and the Office of Healthy Aging joined the celebration to kick-off a Town Hall series to discuss ways community organizations, health systems, public health organizations, and faith leaders can support older adults in achieving optimal health across the lifespan. Dr. Jodi Southerland, Assistant Professor in the East Tennessee State University College of Public Health’s Department of Community and Behavioral Health, was invited to speak about the role of age-friendly universities in promoting healthy aging.
Dr. Southerland’s talk comes as part of her involvement with the college’s growing research interests in the challenges facing aging populations in Appalachia and their caregivers. The college hopes to foster an environment of healthy aging and intergenerational caregiving through leadership, research, programs, policy, and community engagement. To this end, the college will work with a wide range of local, state, and national partners who are committed to advancing the field of aging and intergenerational care.
“On average, the people of Central Appalachia are both older and less healthy than folks in other parts of the country. It is critically important that we, as the oldest college of public health in Central Appalachia, play a vital role in promoting and protecting the health of our older citizens. I am very proud of the work of Dr. Southerland and her colleagues.”