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Press Release: 2011

2011 Health Ministry Empowerment Tour Delivers Inspiration and Important Information

13-year-old Dillon girl introduces news anchor Kimberly Gill, the keynote speaker

Successful TV news anchor Kimberly Gill returned to South Carolina for the 2011 Health Ministry Empowerment Tour's Oct. 15 stop in Dillon and shared with those gathered how her grandmother inspired her to overcome a difficult childhood and realize her career dreams.

"I was driving a truck one week and anchoring the news the next," said Gill, who attended the University of South Carolina part time for seven years while driving 18-wheelers for FedEx. "You never know the impact you can have on someone by believing in them and giving them hope."

Select Health of South Carolina and IMARA Woman magazine sponsor the popular Health Ministry Empowerment Tour, which brings health screenings, workshops and motivational speakers to South Carolina communities each fall, at no charge to participants. This year's tour – themed "Mind, Body, Spirit: Bringing the Good News" – also includes stops in Summerton and Summerville.

"The Health Ministry Empowerment Tour takes a holistic approach to wellness and delivers valuable health information while building social connections," said Wendy Brawley, editor and publisher of IMARA Woman magazine. "Women can gain knowledge in a supportive setting and realize they are not alone in the challenges they face."

Originally from Newberry, Gill started her TV career at WBTW in Florence and now anchors the nightly news in Pittsburgh. Gill's keynote was introduced by 13-year-old Daijour Huggins of Dillon who became friends with Gill several years ago.

Daijour was in second grade when she contacted Gill at WBTW to learn about Gill's job and wound up visiting the Florence station.  The two spent the day together and continued to keep in touch even after Gill moved, first through letters and more recently through Facebook and Twitter. Now a student at JV Martin Junior High, Daijour is considering a future career in TV news as a medical reporter. Otherwise, she would like to become a pediatrician. 

Gill told the audience of more than 180 women how she also dreamed of being a journalist early in life but was dogged by doubt and had to overcome a dysfunctional family situation. She remembers telling her grandmother, "I want to be on TV, but I don’t think I have what it takes to do it."

"You can do anything!" responded her grandmother, a great source of courage and inspiration. "Set it as a goal, stick to it and put God first."

Gill said she wanted to be "a doer, not a talker," and encouraged those in the audience to do the same. "Your success begins when you start to pursue it."

ABOUT SELECT HEALTH
Incorporated in 1995, Select Health was licensed as a Health Maintenance Organization by the South Carolina Department of Insurance in 1996. Later that year, the company contracted with the Department of Health and Human Services to offer First Choice, the state's first and largest Medicaid health plan that today serves more than 220,000 members in 46 counties.  Select Health is dedicated to providing access to high quality healthcare.  In 2011, Select Health received the National Committee of Quality Assurance's (NCQA) Excellent Accreditation as well as its Multicultural Healthcare Distinction. Select Health is a wholly owned subsidiary of AmeriHealth Mercy.  The AmeriHealth Mercy Family of Companies serves four million members nationwide.  For more information, visit www.selecthealthofsc.com.

ABOUT IMARA WOMAN MAGAZINE
IMARA Woman magazine is a statewide Columbia-based publication.  The magazine focuses on lifestyle empowerment for women of color. The word "imara" means powerful in Swahili. For more information, visit www.imarawoman.com.