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Florida Matters: Rhea Chiles Tribute

USF Health Communications
The late Rhea Chiles and Dr. Charlie Mahan

Rhea Chiles, the widow of former governor Lawton Chiles, died last November in her home on Anna Maria Island,  at the age of 84. She dedicated her life to improving the lives of children in Florida.

The University of South Florida’s College of Public Health recently held a symposium to honor the legacy of Rhea Chiles' work. This week on Florida Matters (Tuesday, March 1 at 6:30 p.m. and Sunday, March 6 at 7:30 a.m.) we bring you highlights of the discussion.

3-1-16_florida_matters_for_web_rhea_chiles.mp3
Miss the broadcast? Listen to the show here.

"Knowing the honoree, we know what an advocate she was, and we said it's not enough to have a memorial service, we need to be able to advocate and talk about children's issues,” said College of Public Health Advisory Board chair Sam Bell.

Chiles’ efforts to improve public health was carried out in part at the Lawton and Rhea Chiles Center For Health Mothers And Babies, which was founded two decades ago on the USF Tampa campus.

Lottie Watts was our Florida Matters producer from 2012 to 2016. She also covers health and health policy for WUSF's Health News Florida .
Carson Cooper served as host of WUSF’s "Morning Edition" for 18 years. He took the job in 2000, after working in Tampa Bay radio for decades. He was a fan favorite of our listeners, bringing his friendly and familiar voice to listeners as they started their weekday mornings.