June 10, 2005   Brother-sister team wins Health and Human Services competition   A brother and sister team from Auburn University and the University of Alabama in Birmingham has won first place in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Secretary's Award for innovations in health promotion and disease prevention.   Mitch Potter, a fourth-year student in the AU College of Veterinary Medicine, and his sister, Megan Morgan, a fourth-year student in the UAB School of Dentistry, won the interdisciplinary health profession category in May with their paper, "Straight from the Horse's Mouth."   "This is the first veterinary student paper to use horses in a public health promotion project," said Dr. Charles Hendrix, veterinary professor and faculty advisor.   The paper proposes a community education program to promote horse-riding safety and dental health among youth. Veterinary and dental students would provide community outreach to those living in rural areas by highlighting the benefits of helmets for young riders, proper veterinary care for their horses, as well as dental checkups and regular brushing and flossing for the human participants.    "The idea puts an innovative twist on hippotherapy," Dr. Hendrix said, referring to the Greek word for "horse" and a form of physical therapy. "From this non-traditional exposure to veterinarians acting in a public health role, young people may also view veterinary medicine as a potential career opportunity."   The brother-sister team will split $7,500 in prize money and will be honored this summer in Washington, D.C.   For the third year in a row, Auburn veterinary students have won first place in either the single and or interdisciplinary categories of the Secretary's Award, which promotes DHHS's Healthy People 2010 and HealthierUS initiatives. More than 120 student papers from all health professions were submitted for the 2004-2005 competition.   Mitch and Megan graduated from Midway High School in Waco, Texas, in 1993 and 1997, respectively. Their parents are Toby and Suzie Potter of Birmingham, Ala.   Return To News