Left to right: Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett, KCHD Program Manager Ben Epperson, and KCHD Director Dr. Martha Buchanan. Image courtesy of KCHD.

KNOXVILLE — Knox County Health Department (KCHD) Program Manager Ben Epperson received the Tennessee Public Health Association’s Visionary Award for the East Tennessee region at a ceremony on Friday in Knoxville.

“Ben’s energy and leadership with the Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities program has helped transform the way in which we engage the community to both reduce childhood obesity and improve overall health and quality of life,” said Dr. Martha Buchanan, KCHD director.

Epperson began working for KCHD in 2010 to oversee the Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities initiative. A national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities aims to reduce childhood obesity by building a culture of health where healthy foods are accessible and opportunities for active living and play are easy for everyone. The initiative is ongoing in the Inskip, Mascot and Lonsdale communities and will begin in South Knoxville this year.

The Tennessee Public Health Association created the Visionary Award in 2011 as part of its celebration of National Public Health Week. Presented annually to a recipient in each of Tennessee’s three grand divisions, it recognizes “unsung public health visionaries” who make a difference in their community’s health.

Published April 26, 2014