Pierpont Community & Technical College was very proud that its president, Dr. Johnny More was invited to attend the White House Healthy Campus Challenge Day event that was held on January 13th at the White House. Pierpont was the only Community College in West Virginia and one of only two institutions of higher learning in the state, to participate in the Healthy Campus Challenge.
Pierpont is also proud to announce its ‘40 for 40’ initiative as well. 40 for 40 is an effort to engage employees, students, and communities in healthy lifestyles. Each participant agrees to commit to performing 40 minutes of exercise every day for 40 days. In addition, Pierpont will be assisting returning and new students in researching their healthcare insurance options.
Dr. Moore said he was honored to be a part of the White House Healthy Campus Challenge.
“While attending the Healthy Campus Challenge Day, I walked around our nation’s capital taking in all the history. It was incredible to be able to visit the White House. It was something I never thought would happen,” said the ebullient Moore. “To have the opportunity to go to the White House when the first African American president was in his last week there … this was the end of a historical era in our country and to be a part of that was phenomenal,” said Moore.
He believes that the benefits to participating in the Healthy Campus Challenge we
re many and spread across communities.
“This brings awareness to the significance and importance of having health care. When you add in our newly unveiled 40 for 40 initiative, this becomes a powerful opportunity to create healthy lifestyles. People are healthier, they go to the doctor less frequently, the state saves money on healthcare costs, and we all benefit from lower costs,” said Moore.
According to a White House press release, there are now 20 million more Americans who have gained healthcare coverage since the passage of the Affordable Care Act. In addition, the nation’s uninsured rate now stands at its lowest level ever. At the same time, the country has seen the slowest growth in the price of health care in 50 years.
Access to affordable, quality health care is critically important for young people as they reach adulthood and enter the job market. It gives them peace of mind that allows them to focus on their studies, helps them stay healthy as they join the workforce, and is vital to building a strong economy and a strong middle class. Since passage of the Affordable Care Act was enacted, 6.1 million young adults have gained coverage.
However, there is more work to be done, according to the Obama Administration. In communities across the country, individuals eligible for Marketplace coverage remain uninsured. And the remaining uninsured are disproportionately young, which is why the Administration took new steps to reach young people during this year’s open enrollment period, starting November 1, 2016 and running through January 31, 2017.
As part of the open enrollment efforts, the Obama Administration created the White House Healthy Campus Challenge. This Challenge aimed to engage college and university campuses, and in particular, community college campuses across the country in enrollment efforts. The goal of the Challenge was to reach uninsured individuals on college campuses and in surrounding communities by engaging students, faculty and staff, campus administration, alumni, local community leaders, and elected officials. The White House Healthy Campus Challenge was a joint effort between the White House, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Education.
