NEWS BRIEFS: PCOM student doctors plan two wellness events, more

Alexander Christianson (DO ’24) checks the blood pressure of Sahara Peters (DO ’24) in preparation for the students’ participation in the Jolly Holly Day.

Gwinnett County residents will be the recipients of two wellness events planned by PCOM Georgia Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine in early December.

On Friday, December 3, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., PCOM Georgia DO students, along with faculty members, will take blood pressure readings and distribute blood pressure information at the Jolly Holly Day in Suwanee Town Center, located in downtown Suwanee.

In addition, the PCOM Georgia Mobile Medical Education Lab, will be available for tours, while students will provide arts and crafts activities for children. The DO students’ activities and giveaways are sponsored by the President’s Community Wellness Initiative.

Sahara Peters (DO ’24), a second year DO student, is coordinating the event. She said, “We hope to become a trusted resource in the Suwanee community.” According to Alexander Christianson (DO ’24), “As medical students in Gwinnett County, I believe it is our duty to serve those around us by teaching our community members simple practices that they can implement in their daily lives like blood pressure checks.”

On Saturday, December 4, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., PCOM Georgia HEARTS Club members are working with Walgreens and the Lawrenceville Cooperative Ministry to administer free flu shots to the uninsured. Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments are encouraged. Visit www.pcomheartsga.org to sign up.

The cooperative ministry is located at 52 Gwinnett Drive, Suite C, in Lawrenceville, Georgia. HEARTS Club members raised funds for the event through fundraisers and club dues.

NOTABLE

Gaskins + LeCraw is new name of combined firm

Gaskins Surveying of Marietta and LeCraw Engineering of Duluth announce their merger to create Gaskins + LeCraw. This integration will offering a more comprehensive set of surveying, planning, and engineering capabilities across a wider geographic area in support of growth throughout the Southeast.  

Officers will be Brandon Hutchins as chief executive officer of Gaskins + LeCraw, with Mark LeCraw assuming overall leadership of the engineering organization as vice president of engineering. Chris Evans will be vice president of surveying. Jeff Wilkerson will be director of engineering for the eastern region, and David Stuart will be director of engineering for the western region.

The new organization now boasts 150 employees in the areas of civil engineering, planning consulting, surveying, and entitlements in five offices throughout Georgia. 

Berkeley Lake’s Massaroni is new Good Sam chairman

Massaroni

New board chair of Good Samaritan Health Centers of Gwinnett (Good Sam) is Kenneth Massaroni of Berkeley Lake, who will begin this new appointment in January 2022. He replaces Linda Watson-Hills of Duluth, who served on the board for seven years.

Massaroni has served on the board for four years. He is also involved with the Community Foundation for Northeast Georgia and Hi-Hope Service Center. Good Samaritan is a charitable nonprofit serving the working poor and uninsured by providing quality, affordable dental, medical and pharmaceutical services, with two offices in Norcross.

EMC awards $27,578 to schools for Bright Ideas Grants

Jackson Electric Membership Corporation (EMC) awarded 10 middle schools in Gwinnett County $27,578 in Bright Ideas grants to fund 18 innovative classroom projects. 

Berkmar Middle:

    • Monica Shaffer –  $1,468 grant to fund a Bio Science Learning Garden.

Coleman Middle School:

    • Kelli Sinclair  –  $1,963 grant to fund an Aquaponics System.

 Dacula  Middle School:

    • Susan Rumble  – $1,346 grant to fund Mystery Minerals..

Hull Middle:

    • Cindy Mollard – $816 grant to fund Bravo for Braille.
    • Kanisha Sherman – $1,978 grant to fund Adobe Spark for Business.

Jones Middle:

    • Ashley Saye – $512 grant to fund iDrum for Special Needs Students.
    • Rick Milleman – $998 grant to fund Robot Design for Artificial Intelligence.
    • Jordan Middle:
    • Stacey Edison-Bryson – $1,600 grant to fund Food for All Tower Garden.

Northbrook Middle:

    • Zachary Davison – $2,000 grant to fund Eco Warriors.

Radloff Middle:

    • Celia Ayenesazan – $2,000 grant to fund Multiliteracies Through Graphics.
    • Carla Chelko – $1,335 grant to fund Lego Robotics: Transportation for a Sustainable Future.
    • Haley Gordon – $1,620 grant to fund Engineering Skills for Sustainable Development.
    • Michelle Morgan – $2,000 grant to fund Picture Perfect for NASA Science.
    • Tamika Sirmons – $750 grant to fund Literature to Life Stage Play.

Sweetwater Middle:

    • Kobie Flocker – $1,325 grant to fund Georgia Studies.

Twin Rivers Middle:

    • Andrew Cox – $1,917 grant to fund Dynamics Cart and Track System.
    • Anna Herdliska – $1,955 grant to fund Spectroscopy: Quantifying Color of Light in Biological Specimens.

In 2021, Jackson EMC awarded a total of $61,161 in Bright Ideas grants to 39 teachers in 22 middle schools across its service area.

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