Shaina Foster, BS, CHES Major: Public Health Education, Class of 2014 Position: Community Health Organizer Agency: Montefiore Medical Center “Since entering the field of public health as a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES), I have dedicated my time and focus to making a positive impact in my community and in the communities I serve. My main goal as a health educator is to inspire healthy behavior change through education. I aim to equip communities, families and students with the tools necessary for leading their healthiest lives.” Shaina is presently pursuing an MS in Health Education and Promotion and has used her background in health education to design health curricula regarding bloodborne pathogens, social media and nutrition. In Shaina’s current role as a Community Health Organizer, she works with medical providers, psychologists, dentists and nurses to improve the overall health of children in the Bronx, New York. With the largest school-based health program in the country, she brings public health education into K – 12 classrooms, by instructing reproductive health, asthma management, nutrition and physical activity programs. By educating students, she hopes that they will carry the lessons learned through life and into their communities. The Bronx has some of the highest rates of childhood asthma in the country, and when overall health is compared to other counties, the Bronx is presently ranked last at 62. Shaina hopes that her lessons in the classroom will reduce asthma-related emergency room visits, unintended pregnancy and STI rates, childhood obesity and preventable illness.
