Ouachita is first university in Arkansas to earn Gold Status credential from American College of Sports Medicine
July 29, 2019
- Rachel GaddisOuachita Baptist University recently became the first university in Arkansas to earn
a Gold Status credential from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) for its
participation and excellence in the organization’s Exercise is Medicine® (EIM) program.
This marks the third time Ouachita’s program has been recognized by ACSM, following
two Silver Status recognitions in 2018 and 2016.
The Exercise is Medicine program is a global initiative of ACSM that promotes wellness
education as well as including physical activity and evidence-based exercise programs
in medical treatment. Ouachita’s program is managed by the Department of Kinesiology
and Leisure Studies.
Dr. Terry DeWitt, professor of kinesiology and leisure studies, attended ACSM’s annual
meeting in Orlando earlier this summer to accept Ouachita’s award. Dr. Amber Chelette,
assistant professor of kinesiology and leisure studies, also attended the event.
“Being recognized as a leader in health and exercise promotion in regards to preventative
medicine is critical to our success as a campus and global leaders,” DeWitt said.
“Ouachita is also the only ACSM Gold Status university in the state of Arkansas,”
he added. “I think this says a lot about what our kinesiology and leisure studies
faculty have accomplished in the past five years.”
ACSM launched its Exercise is Medicine recognition program in 2014 to honor campuses
for their participation and engagement in living a healthy lifestyle. Universities
are able to earn gold, silver or bronze status based on their involvement and commitment
to health.
In 2016, Ouachita was one of only 15 universities in the nation to achieve Silver
Status, and has since continued to implement and improve its wellness program both
on- and off-campus.
The Department of Kinesiology and Leisure Studies hosts a community outreach event
in the fall during a home basketball or volleyball game to promote a healthy lifestyle.
Community participants have the opportunity to visit stations and learn about exercise
and diet or to take a brief health assessment. Ouachita also partners with a local
elementary school to offer an organized recess to second and third graders.
Another step Ouachita has taken to promote wellness education and exercise in the
Arkadelphia community is communicating with local healthcare providers, inviting them
to send some of their obese patients who are experiencing health issues to the department’s
community outreach lab.
“What we are doing is incorporating real people with real problems in the real world
– some on campus, some off – into our wellness program,” DeWitt said in a previous
interview.
In addition to the national recognition from ACSM, Ouachita recently secured a mini-grant
of $1,000 from Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield’s Blue & You Foundation to support
its campus program.
For more information, contact Dr. Terry DeWitt at [email protected] or (870) 245-5264.
By Rachel Gaddis // Dr. Terry DeWitt (center) accepts Ouachita’s first Gold Status
credential for its Exercise is Medicine (EIM) program during the American College
of Sports Medicine’s (ACSM) annual meeting in Orlando this summer. Bob Sallis, past-president
of ACSM and EIM founder, and Renee Jeffries Heil, current EIM Committee chair, presented
the award. Photo by the American College of Sports Medicine. Download full size image.
July 29, 2019
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