Shelton State Faculty Members Receive Grant
Tuscaloosa - Gladys Hill, Assistant Dean of Health Services, and Jackie Williams,
nursing faculty at Shelton State Community College have received a grant from the
Alabama League for Nursing to establish a 12-month health promotion project with
six Tuscaloosa area African-American churches.
The Health promotion/preventive medicine activities will focus on providing
free literature and health screenings on church grounds.
Diseases such as Heart Disease, Hypertension, Cancers, Diabetes Mellitus and
AIDS/HIV will be presented during the year according to the Department of Health
and Human Services Health Promotion Calendar. Blood pressure, glucose and
cholesterol screenings, cooking healthy foods, lecturers, displays, and the
dissemination of pamphlets will be utilized to present topics. It is estimated that
through this spiritual based, preventive medicine effort, more than 2,000 persons of
all ages, economic status, occupations will participate during each activity. The six
churches will be comprised of various denominations of faith.
"The purpose of this community project will be to increase awareness and
knowledge regarding five diseases associated with being the leading causes of
deaths for most Americans and ranks disproportionately among minorities," said Hill
and Williams in their application.
Hill received a B.S. degree from the University of Alabama and began her
career in nursing at West Alabama General Hospital in Northport.
After receiving a Masters degree from Mississippi University for Women, she
embarked on teaching others the practice of nursing. The last two decades of her
career have been dedicated to nursing education.
From 1984 to 1994, Mrs. Hill taught in the Associate Degree Nursing Program
at Shelton State and in 1994 became Director of the Shelton State Community College
Nursing Programs. She has successfully guided the nursing faculty and staff
through several transition periods as the college changed and grew.
A recipient of the "Lamplighter Award," Mrs. Hill is active in the Alabama
League for Nursing, the Alabama State Nurses Association, the Alabama Council of
Administrators of Professional Nursing Education Programs, and the Alabama
Council of Practical Nursing Educators where she currently serves as President. She
was recently appointed to the Alabama College System Project Q.P.A. Committee for
Health Professions, the Nursing Education Advisory Committee and has served on
the Advisory Committee for the Alabama Board of Nursing.
Jackie Williams has been on the faculty of Shelton State Community College
since 1991. Prior to joining the nursing faculty at Shelton State she was special
Programs Director/Clinical Nursing Coordinator for West Alabama Health Services,
Inc. She has also worked as a Medical/Surgical Nurse for DCH Regional Medical
Center and as Clinical Instructor for the University of Alabama College of Nursing.
Williams has been active in numerous organizations including:
Shelton State Community College Alumni Association - Board Member; National
Student Nurses' Association, West Alabama Sickle Cell Foundation; West Alabama
AIDS Outreach, Inc. Speakers Bureau; American Nurses' Association & Alabama State
Nurses' Association; National alumni AIDS Prevention Project; Alabama
Gerontological Society; Women's Health Forum of West Alabama; American Heart
Association; Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society and the American Lung Association.
Active as a workshop presenter and sought after as a speaker, Williams was a
nominee for the "Dr. and Mrs. John Todd Award for Exceptional Achievement in
Teaching" at Shelton State.
"Our nursing faculty continues to provide leadership throughout the state
and their service to our West Alabama community cannot be overestimated. We are
all very proud of the work of Ms. Hill and Ms.
Williams and congratulate them on this grant," said Camille Cochrane, Dean of
Instruction at Shelton State Community College.
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