Community Programs & Activities

Programs & Activities> Community Programs and Activities

Dietician and clients There are many community resources available in Pitt County to help children and youth achieve and maintain a healthy weight.

Pitt County Nutrition Services
Pitt County Schools
Community Programs and Agencies
Mental Health Resources

Pitt County Nutrition Services
- Pitt County Health Department (http://www.co.pitt.nc.us/depts/health/)
  Phone: 902-2418
  Contact: Jackie Sugg, RD, LDN
  Services: Weight management for children.
  Cost: Free for Medicaid children; sliding scale for others
- KIDPOWER
  Phone: 744-5479
  Contact: Ask for Marie Harvin, MS, RD, LDN or Sarah Henes, MA, RD, LDN
  Specify the child has a weight concern or is enrolled in KIDPOWER.
  Services: Medical nutrition therapy for at risk for overweight or overweight children.
  Cost: Free. Supported by a grant from the Pitt Memorial Hospital Foundation.
- ECU Pediatric Outpatient Center, Brody School of Medicine
  Phone: 744-0766
  Services: All pediatric nutrition services including diabetes, obesity, failure to thrive, and heart disease.
  Cost: $38 for initial assessment (60 minutes)
  $17 for follow up appointments (30 minutes)
- ViQuest Center
  Appointment: 847-5590
  Contact: Victoria Bizzell.
  Services: Weight management for children.
  Cost (non-members): $50 for initial assessment (60 minutes);
  $30 for follow up (30 minutes)
  ViQuest members are eligible for one free initial session and one free follow up session.
- Medical Park Associates
  Appointment: 758-6080
  Ask for appointment with Katrina Segrave, RD, LDN
  Cost: $85 for initial assessment
  Nutrition packages are also available for $189 (3 visits)

Pitt County Schools (http://www.pitt.k12.nc.us/index.php)
- Ongoing Nutrition and Physical Activity Programs
  National School Breakfast and Lunch Programs, Summer Food Program, Taste Explorers, Winner's Circle food items in Pitt County cafeterias and vending machines, Project YEAH!, walking trails, and more.
- North Carolina Health and Wellness Trust Fund "Fit Together NC" Grant (http://www.healthwellnc.com/hwtfc/htmfiles/fundprty_obesity.htm) As one of the North Carolina Health and Wellness Trust Fund "Fit Together" grantees, Pitt County Schools will receive $449,000 over three years. A newly hired Health and Wellness Coordinator and a dietitian are implementing a variety of nutrition and physical activity programs in schools county-wide. The school system will also focus efforts on public education and adoption of local policies that address obesity-related issues. For more information contact the Angela Oden, Pitt County Schools Dietitian at aoden@pitt.k12.nc.us
- Growing Up FIT! (http://www.ncagromedicine.org/fit.htm)
  Growing Up FIT! is an ongoing collaborative community partnership committed to developing sustainable programming to assist children to achieve and maintain a healthy weight. FIT! has developed innovative, culturally competent physical activity and food and nutrition education programming for Pitt County elementary school children. It also conducts growth assessments for Kindergarten fifth grade students. For more information, contact Dr. Kristen Borre at borrek@ecu.edu.
- Pitt County Healthy Schools Task Force
  The Healthy Schools Task Force is comprised of volunteer members from the Pitt County Health Department, Pitt County Memorial Hospital, Pitt County Schools, Pitt County Community Schools and Recreation, the ViQuest Center, Pitt Partners for Health, Local Physical Activity and Nutrition Coalition members, and East Carolina University faculty. The task force provides consultation and technical assistance in the development and implementation of local school health programs, including nutrition and physical activity programming. For more information, contact Jo Morgan at djmorgan@pittcountync.gov.
- Pitt County Community Schools and Recreation
  Pitt County Community Schools and Recreation is a program that was established in 1978 to coordinate and expand the use of school facilities by community groups and organizations; to assist in developing volunteer programs within the schools; and to develop county-wide recreation programs. The program provides recreational sports programs for citizens of all ages, including youth, and after-school programs and summer camps for the community. For more information, contact Alice Keene at afkeene@co.pitt.nc.us.
- North Carolina "Healthy Active Children Policy" (http://www.nchealthyschools.org/components/healthyactivechildrenpolicy )
  In January 2003, the NC State Board of Education passed the "Healthy Active Children" policy. This policy was amended in April 2005. It requires schools to develop local school health advisory councils, recommends specific amounts of physical education and activity each week and requires schools to offer coordinated school health programs. The policy includes a 30-minute daily physical activity requirement for Kindergarten through eight grade students.
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Community Programs and Agencies
- Pitt County Memorial Hospital Pediatric Healthy Weight Case Management Program. This three year grant-funded program provides case management services for overweight children in Pitt County. These services enable children and families to obtain coordinated care for weight-related issues. The program also plans to facilitate the development of standardized care plans for overweight children and to create a community awareness campaign related to childhood obesity. For more information about the program, contact Jim Cox, MSW at jrcox@pcmh.com or visit their web site at: http://www.uhseast.com/body.cfm?id=1112.
- ViQuest Center (http://www.uhseast.com/viquest_body.cfm?id=613)
  ViQuest, a University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina wellness and disease management provider for citizens in eastern North Carolina, has two wellness centers in the region, one in Greenville and one in Ahoskie, NC. These centers both provide a range of fitness and wellness programming to the general public, including children. The ViQuest Center offers a number of weight management programs geared for children and youth. For information about children's weight management programs, contact Allison Spain; for children's activity programs, contact Jennifer Peak. Both may be reached at (252) 847-7898.
- KIDPOWER
  KIDPOWER is an ongoing research study conducted by Dr. John Olsson, Dr. Tate Holbrook and colleagues at ECU that aims to identify health conditions associated with childhood obesity. Participants are evaluated for obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular risk. Children identified as being hyperinsulinemic are offered the opportunity to enroll in a dietary and lifestyle intervention. They are provided with medical nutrition therapy using a modified carbohydrate diet for eight weeks and then referred to a local wellness center for physical activity programs. Children who are not hyperinsulinemic do not participate in the dietary part of the program, but are given nutrition resources and referrals to the wellness center for physical activity programs. To learn more about the KIDPOWER study, contact Ms. Marie Harvin at harvinn@ecu.edu.
- Pitt Partners for Health (http://www.pittpartnersforhealth.org/)
  Pitt Partners for Health is a community partnership with representatives from local churches, businesses, communities and human service agencies. The partnership responds collaboratively to the compelling health needs of Pitt County residents through assessment, resource identification, development of citizen advocacy, comprehensive planning and coordination of health intervention and prevention strategies. Priority areas for Pitt Partners for Health include nutrition and physical activity. For more information, contact Kristen Brooks at klbrooks@pcmh.com.

Mental Health Resources
- ECU Family Therapy Clinic
  Appointments: 252-328-4236
  Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 9:00pm
  Saturdays & Sundays, hours based on therapist availability
  Location: Corner of 10th St. and Anderson St. in Greenville, NC
  Fees: Sliding Fee Scale
  Credentials: Master's and Doctoral level therapists and therapists in training (closely supervised by credentialed faculty); licensed faculty-level therapists
  Types of Problems Addressed: Marital/couple, parent/child, child behavioral, obesity/overweight, psychosocial adjustment and management of illness and disabilities, post-divorce therapy, and mental illness