City of Gloucester
IMPACT Melanoma is proud of the work we do in communities throughout the United States. The following is a conversation with Kelley Hiland, the Public Health Nurse of the City of Gloucester. The City of Gloucester reached out to IMPACT to figure out how they could install sunscreen dispensers on their city beaches and, in general, help educate community members about the ill effects of UV radiation stemming from the sun. We were glad to help facilitate this and are proud of our community engagement programs and in working together to make great IMPACT nationwide.
IMPACT Melanoma: How’d you learn about IMPACT Melanoma and their Practice Safe Skin program? What led you to engage with Laurie Seavey and the Practice Safe Skin initiative?
Kelley Hiland: A fellow Public Health Nurse worked with IMPACT Melanoma to install sunscreen dispensers in her community (Newburyport). She referred me to IMPACT, which kicked off conversation with Laurie.
IM: Tell us about your project? What was the scope? What were your goals?
Hiland: The Gloucester Health Department wanted to provide the community with safe sun practices since we are a seaside, tourist community with very popular beaches.
IM: What was the process like for you with regard to engaging with IMPACT Melanoma and figuring out the logistics of whether or not this was even possible?
Hiland: The process in working with IMPACT Melanoma was seamless. Laurie helped me from beginning to end with frequent check ins to see how our project was going. She offered many resources and connected me to other programs within IMPACT Melanoma.
IM: How many dispensers did you purchase/install?
Hiland: The City of Gloucester received four donated dispensers.
IM: Where did you install dispensers?
Hiland: Two dispensers were installed at Good Harbor Beach and two dispensers were installed at Wingaersheek Beach in Gloucester.
IM: What good do you hope comes of them?
Hiland: When beach goers see the sunscreen dispensers, I hope they are reminded to re-apply sunscreen but also engage in safe skin practices.
IM: What is your own personal philosophy in regard to sun safety?
Hiland: Being a young adult, I personally find it disappointing that teenagers and young adults feel tanned skin is beautiful skin. I try to promote that your natural skin tone is beautiful and you don’t need artificial UVB rays (tanning beds) or endless hours in the sun to be beautiful. In my personal life, I try to set an example for the younger generation through wearing sunscreen, a hat, and sitting under an umbrella while at the beach or outdoors.
IM: What sort of impact does this project leave on your community? How have they been received and what are next steps in assuring that they are properly utilized and taken advantage of?
Hiland: The Health Department did a sun safety campaign last summer (2017) and we received materials from IMPACT Melanoma to kick off the summer with a beach event. The response from the beach goers was unbelievable. Numerous individuals thanked us for being there and providing the education. We even had survivors of melanoma come to the event. We plan to have a beach event once a month during the summer due to this overwhelmingly positive response.
IM: What’s your battle cry sound like with regard to getting surrounding communities in your area, and across the globe, to adopt a similar proactive approach to helping combat skin cancer with these dispensing devices?
Hiland: I think explaining to fellow Health Departments about how seamless and easy it is to work with Laurie and IMPACT Melanoma around the logistics and funding of the dispensers can help sway their decision to move forward with a sun safety project.
Get involved: To bring Bright Guard sunscreen dispensers to your town, contact IMPACT Melanoma today and let’s discuss how we can help best serve your unique needs.
