- It's time for "Health Heroes," the game show where you guess what our special guest does for their public health job.

And we all know that- - [Crowd] Public health is the science of healthy communities.

- Absolutely.

And by encouraging a healthy lifestyle, researching diseases, and promoting injury prevention, public health experts protect us all.

Now, today's contestants are Connor, [chuckles] Olivia, and Lily.

Welcome, guys.

And to our expert, please introduce yourself, and give us our first hint.

Which of the five foundational building blocks of public health do you work in?

- My name is Dr.

Kim, and my work supports the chronic disease and injury prevention pillar of public health.

- We're glad you're here.

Okay, Connor, you get the first question.

- What is a chronic disease?

- That's a great question.

A chronic disease is when someone has a health problem that lasts a long time.

They need extra care, rest, or medicine, but still can do normal things, and they may not look like they're sick.

One chronic disease is asthma, and that's where your lungs get tight.

And you might need medicine to help you breathe easier.

- Do you help prevent chronic diseases?

- I do, I share information that helps people understand how to stay healthy, and I consult with communities to make it easier to eat well, be active, and avoid getting sick.

- How do you prevent something like a chronic disease?

- Well, one chronic disease we see in North Carolina is heart disease, and that's where the pipes carrying blood to and from the heart get damaged or clogged.

To keep that from happening and to keep your heart healthy, one thing you can do is have regular checkups.

Can you name some other things that you could do to make sure your heart stays healthy?

- Oh, pick me.

I know, I know this.

- Connor, do you wanna go first?

- Eating healthy foods like fruits and veggies.

- Make sure you're not too stressed and work on mental wellness.

- You can jump up and down and wave all around and be really active and healthy.

- I was gonna say that.

- You're all right.

Those are great ways to keep healthy and help prevent heart disease.

[bell chimes] [audience clapping] - You know what that means.

Investigation time is up.

And now it's time... Give me a minute.

Now it's time to guess that public health hero.

Now, contestants, write down your answers.

Can you guess what Dr.

Kim does here for her public health job?

[inquisitive ticking music] [bell chiming] [audience clapping] That is correct!

Dr.

Kim, tell us what a medical consultant in chronic disease does.

- A medical consultant for chronic disease is a doctor who helps people and communities make healthy choices and find problems early by getting regular checkups.

Those visits help make sure you are healthy and stay that way.

Another part of my job is sharing important health information with doctors and nurses across North Carolina so they know the best ways to care for people who have long-lasting illnesses or who might get them in the future.

Whether it's for diabetes, heart disease, or asthma, I look out for families and make sure that their doctors and caregivers have the best information possible.

[upbeat music] - That's our show, folks.

[laughs] See you next time on "Health Heroes."

Whew, oh, that was a lot of jumping.

I'm gonna, I'm just gonna need a minute if that's okay.

Oh.

Take care of yourself, kids.