Everyone Should Learn About Sun Safety: Take a Free Online Course

It’s Never Too Early to Learn About Sun Safety!

Summit Medical Group Foundation Partners with Boys & Girls Clubs in New Jersey and L’Oréal for Launch of Enright Sun Safety Course™

It’s never too early—or too late—to learn about the potential damage that the sun can do, and what you can do to prevent it. That’s the impetus behind the Enright Sun Safety Course™ introduced this week by Summit Medical Group Foundation (SMGF). This engaging, informative online program for ages five and over emphasizes that proper skin care and protection from the sun should start early, and that it should be top-of-mind for everyone, not only as a “summer thing,” but every day, every season, all year long.

The free online course is named for Joseph E. Enright, MD, a Summit Medical Group (NJ) internist who lost his battle with malignant melanoma in 1996 at the age of 37. With the launch of the Enright Sun Safety Course™, SMGF carries on the mission of the original foundation created by his family: to raise sun safety awareness, and help prevent melanoma through education and early detection.

Julienne Cherry, Executive Director of SMGF, says that she’s on a campaign to share sun safety tips with anyone and everyone she meets. “As an African-American woman, the Enright Sun Safety Course™ literally stopped me dead in my tracks”, says Cherry. “I learned that I was as much at risk for skin damage and skin cancer as a fair-skinned person would be. It changed how I take care of my skin AND my family’s skin. ALL skin colors and types are at risk, and the earlier we learn how to take care of our skin and protect it from the sun, the better.”

Summertime, though not the ONLY time, is when people, especially kids, are spending more time outdoors and are most aware of how powerful—and potentially damaging—the sun’s rays can be. Partnering with the Boys & Girls Clubs in New Jersey for the launch, says Cherry, was an opportunity to engage the thousands of children (mostly ages 5-14) who are participating in summer camp at Clubs. Cherry has also engaged global skin care and beauty company L’Oréal as a partner; L’Oreal has generously agreed to provide free sun-care products to participating Club kids.

With skin cancer rates rapidly increasing, there is an enormous need to educate young people, and the people who influence them, about the dangers of overexposure to the sun and ultraviolet radiation. Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States and worldwide; in fact, 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer by the age of 70. Risk for melanoma doubles (on average) if you’ve had 5 or more sunburns, and a single blistering sunburn in childhood or adolescence more than doubles your risk.

“We are delighted to collaborate with SMGF on this critical awareness initiative that will potentially save lives,” says Susan Haspel, State Director for Boys & Girls Clubs in New Jersey. “We want to thank L’Oréal for their help in ensuring that our Club kids will have access to quality sun protection. We are excited about bringing this important curriculum to our Club kids during summer camp. And, we are committed to educating young people and their families about sun safety, not just over the summer, but throughout the school year.”

A “first-of-its-kind,” the Enright Sun Safety Course™ is an advanced e-learning platform comprised of three similar course modules featuring engaging visuals, a healthy dose of creativity, and proven instructional methods. Each of the course modules is designed to be a highly accessible, interactive and fun experience for a specific age group: 5-8 year olds, 9-12, and 13 and over. Information is presented in an age-appropriate, clear and concise manner that makes the content easy to grasp, as are the opportunities for testing your accumulating knowledge as you make your way through. At the end, there’s a print-ready, personalized certificate that recognizes your successful completion of the course. A real solid take-away from the short yet informative courses is the simple-to-remember message “Apply. Cover. Enjoy™,” revealed (as is much of the information) by clicking on the friendly Sun Safety Ace, an iconic smiling sun that appears throughout all the course modules. The message really sinks in, and is a great self-reminder for any age: “Apply sunscreen, Cover up, and then… Enjoy yourself!”

“Protecting yourself from the sun is the best thing that you can do for your skin,” says Dr. Hari Nadiminti of Summit Medical Group, a dermatologist who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of skin cancer. “Many of the harmful effects of the sun can be avoided by using sun safety techniques. If you use these safety measures, you can greatly reduce your risk of skin cancer.”

In addition to providing free online access, SMGF is making their sun safety course available for on-site group education via its state-of-the-art Wellness on Wheels Mobile Health Unit, free by request for organizations and companies in Union, Essex and Middlesex counties. For more information about sun safety, skin cancer and the Enright Sun Safety Course™ visit Enright Sun Safety Course and Information. If your company or organization is interested in becoming an “Enright Outreach Partner for Sun Safety” with the Summit Medical Group Foundation, or would like SMGF’s Wellness on Wheels Mobile Health Unit to visit your facility, contact Julienne Cherry at jcherry@smg-foundation.org.

About the Summit Medical Group Foundation

The Summit Medical Group Foundation was built on the idea that everyone deserves a healthy tomorrow. This fundamental belief drives our 3-pillar mission of improving access to healthcare for the underserved in our community, educating and inspiring future healthcare providers and promoting the courage, confidence and emotional well-being of individuals and their families facing cancer.

The Foundation is fortunate to work with a cadre of volunteers and community partners to help bring this mission to life. Through collaborations and partnerships, and with the help of generous donors, the Foundation provides free medical screenings and healthcare education for food pantry clients and others in underserved communities, scholarships and mentorship programs for students interested in healthcare careers, and comfort programs for cancer patients and their families (such as music and pet therapy, mind-body programs, massage, etc.). Throughout the year the Foundation also holds backpack drives, toy drives, holiday meals and more for our neighbors in need.

The Summit Medical Group Foundation was established in 2013 by Summit Medical Group, the premier physician-led multispecialty group, which was rebranded as Summit Health. This partnership allows the Foundation to engage the providers and employees of Summit Health to work together to strengthen the community around us, building healthier tomorrows. To learn more about Summit Medical Group Foundation, visit www.smg-foundation.org.

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