It takes someone who likes challenges to envision a society in which all citizens adopt healthy lifestyles. If anyone is up for that challenge, it would be a woman who conquered Mount Washington when she was only five years old by hiking to the summit with her father. That woman is Dr. Laurie Betts.

After a BA degree from Dartmouth College, Laurie received an MD from Stony Brook School of Medicine and completed her residency in internal medicine at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and Abington Memorial Hospital. Since then, she became Board Certified, practiced medicine at Grove Hill Medical Center and New Britain General Hospital in Connecticut, maintained a busy schedule as a professional speaker on women´s health, and is the working single mother of three teenagers.

But it only takes a glance at her blog "Foundations for Life" on the Healthy Living social media site to realize that Laurie´s passion is envisioning and working toward a healthier society. Her position as the Program Officer for Physical and Preventive Behavioral Health at the Pottstown Area Health & Wellness Foundation (PAHWF) is a perfect fit for her.

As program officer, Laurie has played a key role in advising ACLAMO on its health programs in Pottstown and has been a major encourager to ACLAMO board members, who participate in training offered by the Non Profit Center at LaSalle University through the PAHWF.

"ACLAMO has a passionate and tireless staff," Laurie explains, "who make sure that no matter how challenging times get, the community is always served to better its health."