Dawn Denton, RN, BS of AGH to Speak at The National Initiative for Children's Healthcare Quality's Annual Forum for Improving Children's Healthcare and Childhood Obesity Congress

This year’s Forum to address current healthcare climate with presentations on patient safety, childhood obesity, chronic conditions, health information technology and medical home

The National Initiative for Children’s Healthcare Quality (NICHQ) today announced that Dawn Denton, community education manager at Atlantic General Hospital, has been chosen to speak at NICHQ’s 2010 Annual Forum for Improving Children’s Healthcare and Childhood Obesity Congress, being held March 8-11 in Atlanta, Ga.

The Annual Forum for Improving Children’s Healthcare and Childhood Obesity Congress will bring together hundreds of healthcare professionals of all disciplines to improve children’s healthcare quality. Sessions will cover:

• Patient Safety
• Childhood Obesity
• Chronic Conditions
• Quality Improvement-linked to finance, advocacy and equity in care
• Health IT

Denton will present “How a Community Hospital Combats Childhood Obesity,” highlighting the hospital’s key role in bringing the Emmy Award-winning FOODPLAY production that tours the country to each of the public elementary schools in Worcester County.
She will join a roster of notable healthcare leaders including David L. Katz MD, MPH, FACPM, FACP, director and founder of Yale University's Prevention Research Center; Daniel Salinas MD, senior vice president and chief medical officer, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta; and Lisa Simpson MB, BCh, MPH, FAAP, director, Child Policy Research Center, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.

“We’re thrilled to have such an impressive line-up of speakers present at our 2010 Annual Forum and Childhood Obesity Congress,” said Charles J. Homer MD, MPH, president and chief executive officer at NICHQ. “The Forum represents the most promising work being done in children's healthcare quality today and these presentations will contribute greatly to the value for attendees.”

“The best way to combat the obesity epidemic is by empowering our youth,” said Michael Franklin, president and CEO of Atlantic General Hospital. “Dawn discovered a wonderful tool to deliver important healthy living messages to our area youth, and the program has been embraced by the schools and the community. We’re honored that she will able to share our efforts at the Forum.”

For more information, contact Forum@nichq.org or 617.391.2712. To register for the Forum, please visit www.nichq.org.

About NICHQ
Founded in 1999, the National Initiative for Children’s Healthcare Quality (NICHQ) is an action-oriented organization dedicated to achieving a world in which all children receive the healthcare they need. Led by experienced pediatric healthcare professionals, NICHQ’s mission is to improve children’s health by improving the systems responsible for the delivery of children’s healthcare.

For more information, visit www.nichq.org.

About Atlantic General Hospital and FOODPLAY
Through the sole sponsorship of Atlantic General Hospital, more than 2200 students in kindergarten through fourth grades in Worcester County’s public elementary schools witnessed the antics of Johnny Junkfood, whose dream is to become a juggling star, but keeps dropping the balls. With the help of the “Coach” of the National Junior Juggling Team and the children in the audience, Johnny learned how to juggle the foods he eats to wind up with a balanced diet.

FOODPLAY is an award-winning theater production with colorful characters and a serious but engaging message that tours the country educating children about the importance and ease of living a healthy lifestyle through good diet and physical activity. Atlantic General is preparing for “This is Your Life,” FOODPLAY’s counterpart for adolescents and teenagers, which will be presented at Worcester County’s middle schools the week of February 8.