Jefferson City doctor wins MOCAN Healthcare Professional Award

COLUMBIA, Mo.– Seven years ago, Sarah Gordon noticed a problem with the children visiting her practice. Increasingly, her young patients were overweight. Gordon knew that she had to do something to change the trend.

To address this issue of obesity, Gordon, a pediatrician with the Jefferson City Medical Group, founded Central Missouri We Can! in 2007. The coalition is a community organization serving Cole County with the mission of providing education and support for the prevention of childhood obesity. Coalition members include University of Missouri Extension in Cole County, the Cole County Health Department, and the Jefferson City Department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry.

The coalition is modeled after the national We Can! (Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity and Nutrition) program developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The goal is to focus on promoting three important behaviors: improved food choices, increased physical activity and reduced screen time.

For her efforts toward creating this coalition to improve children’s health in Cole County, the Missouri Council for Activity and Nutrition (MOCAN) awarded Gordon the MOCAN Healthcare Professional Award – Excellence in Connecting Health to Community at the quarterly MOCAN meeting on Oct. 23 in Columbia.

As president of the coalition, Gordon has been able to recruit members from throughout central Missouri, including people from the Capital Region Medical Center, Capital Region Pediatric Associates, Cole County Health Department, MU Extension, Jefferson City Medical Group Pediatrics, Jefferson City Public Schools, Jefferson City Parks and Recreation, St. Mary’s Health Center, St. Mary’s Pediatrics, Hy-Vee and interested community volunteers.

The coalition has led several efforts, starting with a pilot project at Jefferson City East Elementary School in September 2008, where a third grade class was selected to participate in a health screening involving body mass index, blood pressure, weight and height, cholesterol and blood sugar screening in the first year, and BMI and BP screening in the following two years. 

Another program, implemented through a grant from MU Extension, was Kids in the Kitchen. Through this program, done with the Boys and Girls Club, children received hands-on opportunities and guidance on how to prepare healthy snacks. The program was so successful that the coalition continues to offer it to community children’s groups each year. Most recently, the coalition ran the Walk JC event for residents of Cole and surrounding counties.

“I believe that she is very deserving of this award because of the contributions she has made to the coalition’s early formation and continued service to the community,” said Mary Telthorst, director of nurses at the Cole County Health Department.

 “Dr. Gordon has been a positive influence in keeping the Central Missouri We Can! coalition focused on interventions to educate and promote nutrition and physical activity in the community,” said Phil Stiles, director of Recreation Facilities and Special Services Division of the Jefferson City Department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry.

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ABOUT MOCAN: The Missouri Council for Activity and Nutrition (MOCAN) is a coalition comprising representatives from statewide and local agencies, institutions, organizations, other coalitions or individuals united in their commitment to prevent and reduce obesity and other chronic diseases in Missouri. For more information, go to www.mocan.org.