News & Events

First Ever Well-a-Bration a Huge Success for UNC Asheville

September 27, 2011

Well-a-Bration was a week of activities showcasing UNC Asheville’s health and wellness programs, and featured important health care policy discussions and collaborations with partner organizations in the community. The events took place in the Sherrill Center on UNC Asheville’s campus and included over 50 health-related activities such as health assessments, worksite wellness walks and luncheons, as well as dance performances throughout the halls of the Sherrill Center. The week concluded with a crowd of over 300 packing into the Mountain View Conference Room to hear Dr. Patch Adams speak.

Well-a-Bration gave the North Carolina Center for Health and Wellness (NCCHW) a chance to showcase their partnering organizations, as well as bringing to the forefront their goal of making North Carolina a healthier place.

Events hosted by the NCCHW during  Well-a-Bration included:

• Pioneering Healthier Communities Town Hall Meeting – The focus of this meeting was on the built environment, including safer routes to school, “complete streets,” and greenway development. Over 60 people attended the event to take part in this interactive group discussion.

• The Culture of Medicine and Health Care Disparities, with Dr. Liz Castillo, medical director of Asheville Buncombe Institute of Parity Achievement (ABIPA) – Dr. Castillo outlined some of the disparities in health as well as access to care between different groups in our region. Representatives from around the community joined in to experience the riveting speech given by Dr. Castillo.

• Eat Smart, Move More North Carolina Leadership Team Meeting – The Leadership Team meeting was held in the Sherrill Center and included speakers such as Dr. Jeffrey Engle, State Health Director; Mayor Terry Bellamy, Asheville City Mayor; Dr. Anne Ponder, UNC Asheville Chancellor; Dr. David Gardner, executive director, UNC Asheville’s N.C. Center for Health & Wellness; Keith Ray, associate professor and chair, UNC Asheville Department of Health and Wellness. Over 150 people attended the meeting which was followed by a Health Expo on the arena’s concourse. Over 20 partners of the NCCHW showcased the initiatives they are taking in Western North Carolina to make North Carolina a healthier place to live.

• Dr. Patch Adams – Best known for his work as a physician and clown, Dr. Adams is also a social activist who has devoted 40 years to changing America’s health care system. He spoke of his nonprofit project in holistic medical care based on the belief that one cannot separate the health of the individual from the health of the family, the community, the world, and the health care system itself. Dr. Adams believes that laughter, joy and creativity are an integral part of the healing process. The Mountain View room was filled to capacity for Dr. Patch Adams with over 300 people lining up to hear him speak.

The Executive Director of the North Carolina Center for Health and Wellness, Dr. David Gardner, said of the events the NCCHW hosted for Well-a-Bration, “Health is an individual challenge, but there is a lot more we can do as a society to smooth the path to wellness for every segment of our population and for each person. Well-a-Bration week and every week, we’ll be working on strategies to help all North Carolinians, and also ways to overcome health disparities.”

The Well-a-Bration committee will be meeting soon to discuss the success of the week and if they plan to make it an annual event.

For more information on the North Carolina Center for Health & Wellness please visit www.ncchw.unca.edu.