Odessa Chambliss Wellness Center
Background
Wherever Bethune-Cookman University founder Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune saw a need, she found a way to meet it. Instead of obstacles, she saw challenges. Time after time, she rose to the challenge and created lasting change that improved lives.
In 1911, Mary McLeod Bethune opened a hospital on the grounds of the school that she founded to serve her students and the local black community. She took this action after a black student in need of surgery was turned away from the local hospital which only treated white patients.
Almost one hundred years later, minority communities still face disparities in access to healthcare and health outcomes.
To meet this challenge in the spirit of Dr. Bethune and in keeping with her legacy of community service, civic engagement and social responsibility, Bethune-Cookman University (B-CU) has launched the Odessa Chambliss Wellness Center at the B-CU School of Nursing.
Mission
The mission of the Odessa Chambliss Wellness Center of the Bethune-Cookman University School of Nursing is to reduce racial and ethnic health disparities by increasing health literacy in targeted communities and empowering individuals to make lifestyle changes that improve their health.
To achieve these goals, the Center provides wellness education programs, assessment and referral services designed to help individuals reduce risk factors and improve self-management of chronic conditions. The Wellness Center also trains local residents as lay community health educators and operates as a clinical site for senior nursing students enrolled in community health courses.
Target populations for Wellness Center programs are: Bethune-Cookman University students, faculty and staff; the citizens of the Greater Daytona Beach area; and, homeless families residing in the Star Family Center. The Center works closely with local community health agencies to disseminate information and conduct educational programs.
Programs
Neighbor to Neighbor defines the approach of the Odessa Chambliss Wellness Center.
Bethune-Cookman University is reaching out to its neighbors and encouraging them to do the same – whether that means learning more about risk factors for diabetes and telling a friend or family member; bringing a neighbor to the Wellness Center for a blood pressure check; or, challenging others to cook healthy for the next family, neighborhood or church event. It’s all about making a difference – neighbor to neighbor.
Community residents are encouraged to come to the Wellness Center for services including:
- Blood pressure screenings
- Weight checks
- Body Mass Index assessment
- Nutritional Counseling
In addition, special events, programs and services will be offered each month focusing on different health issues. Upcoming areas of focus are:
August 2009
Immunization awareness / H1N1 flu education and prevention
Partner: Volusia & Flagler County Health Departments
September 2009
Ovarian Cancer and Prostate Cancer awareness: risk factors, early detection and disease management
Partner: Volusia & Flagler County Health Departments
October 2009
Domestic Violence: raising awareness
Partner: ENSYNC DMS, Inc.
Location and Contact Information
The Odessa Chambliss Wellness Center is located on Lockhart Street in Daytona Beach, Florida, between International Speedway Boulevard and Magnolia Avenue.
Phone: 386-481-2830
Wellness Center Staff
- Alma Dixon, Ed.D., executive director for health equity and multi-cultural health
- Dr. Karen Volante, nutritionist
- Doretha Snell, receptionist
Wellness Center Alliance
- Dr. Janice Allen-Kelsey, B-CU
- Chet Bell, Stewart Marchman Center for Chemical Independence
- Randy Croy, executive director, Serenity House
- Dr. Luckey Dunn, FSU College of Medicine
- Dr. Kathryn Fraser, Halifax Medical Center
- Dr. Daniel Hale, Stetson University
- Ms. Linda Haywood, Flagler County NAACP
- Patrick Johnson, Flagler County Health Department
- Dixie Morgese, Healthy Start Coalition of Flagler and Volusia Counties
- Christine McMillon, ENSYNC Diversified Management Services, Inc.
- Dr. Munir Rahmani, B-CU
- Deanna Shaeffer, Healthy Communities (an affiliate of Halifax Health)
- Dr. Anthony J. Schefstad, Volusia/Flagler County Coalition for the Homeless
- Stefany Strong, Volusia County Health Department
- Rev. Maxine Thompson, B-CU
- Dorothy Triplett, Institute for Successful Leadership, Inc.
About Odessa Chambliss
The Wellness Center is named for Odessa Chambliss, the mother of B-CU alumna Mrs. Lucille O’Neal. Chambliss died in 1996 of ovarian cancer. The Odessa Chambliss Quality of Life Fund, which endowed the Wellness Center, was created by her family to honor her commitment to God and medicine.
Odessa Chambliss herself was a nurse. When she fell ill, her physician told the family, “From this point on, it would not be the quantity of life your mother has, but the quality of what is left of her life that will make a difference to all of you.” With this in mind, her family has embarked on a journey to try and add quality to those lives they touch through the Odessa Chambliss Quality of Life Fund.
