Dr. Seibel Rocks!

Dr. Machelle Seibel is a renowned OB/GYN, researcher, educator, speaker, and author. His impressive career spans more than 25 years. In 1981, he performed the first successful IVF procedure in Massachusetts, which was the third successful IVF procedure in the United States. He is currently a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, and is the director of the school's Complicated Menopause Program. Among his many accomplishments, Seibel has produced more than 200 scientific articles, written and edited 10 scholarly books and eight books for lay audiences, and served as editor in chief of the journal Sexuality, Reproduction, and Menopause. And among Seibel's many awards are the 2008 Ashbel Smith Distinguished Alumnus Award Winner from the University of Texas Medical Branch, the Searle-Donald F. Richardson Award and the Meade-Johnson Focus on Patient Education Award from The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the 2005 Consumer Education Award from the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, and numerous entries into Woodward/White's The Best Doctors in America.

However, thousands of children and teens simply know him as "Doc Rock," the singing, guitar-playing cartoon doctor on the award-winning health education website HealthRock.

HealthRock

Seibel founded the HealthRock "health edutainment" company in 2003. The site's underlying mission springs in part from statistics showing that 90 million Americans, or half of the adult population, are "health illiterate." As a result, Seibel seeks to improve the health literacy of the next generation. When asked why he decided to target his health messages to kids, he says, "You have the most opportunity to influence behavior and to form lasting habits. You can really have a profound effect on children." When it comes to learning health facts and healthy behaviors, Seibel believes that songs are more memorable than a lecture or pamphlet. His music aims to provide information, allay common kids' fears, promote healthy habits, and make it all fun.

To engage young people, HealthRock's cheerful main page features Doc Rock and a talking, dancing skeleton in an animated doctor's office. Educational and entertaining songs, written, composed, and performed by Seibel himself, are the heart of the website. With catchy tunes and lyrics, songs like "Your Heart is a Pump" teaches kids basic facts about their bodies, while "Nutz" educates about nut allergies, and the "Phat Fat Rap" teaches the importance of good nutrition. Songs like "Not Smoking Cigarettes" encourages positive behaviors, "Best at Being Me" promotes self-esteem, and "The Potty Train" deals with the everyday tribulations of being a child. Meanwhile, the "Wash Your Hands" song takes as long to sing as it does to wash your hands – a simple act that can dramatically reduce flu and staph infections in schools. "It's better to stay well than to get well" is the message Seibel wants to pass on to every patient.

Kids can also play interactive games, watch cartoons, and send questions to Seibel using an online form. The site is updated at least once a month with sheet music for HealthRock songs, e-books, and links to news articles. Seibel has also released a number of CDs, including the HealthRock Preschool Edition, HealthRock Kid's Edition, HealthRock Grown Up Edition, HealthRock Women's Edition, and Lullabies for Kids of All Ages. HealthRock is the recipient of the 2007 eHealthcare Leadership Awards and the iParenting Media Award.

Seibel is full of plans for improving the HealthRock website. In the future, expect to see online quizzes, certificates rewarding good health practices, and even more songs and interactive games. In addition to the HealthRock website, Seibel intends to start a blog, post music videos on YouTube, and establish a presence on other sites which children and teens frequent. HealthRock is also expanding its message beyond cyberspace, as Seibel is working with other experts to develop school health curriculums, along with a parents' toolkit to promote good health practices at home. There are also plans for children's books that combine health topics with music, fun characters, and engaging stories. To increase HealthRock's visibility, Seibel hopes to liaise with mainstream artists and make more TV appearances. Seibel encourages others to license and perform his songs, and HealthRock tunes have been heard at live concerts, in healthcare facilities, at healthcare professionals' meetings, and on nationally syndicated TV programs.

Despite all of his achievements and exciting plans, when asked what accomplishment he's most proud of from his long and varied career, Seibel laughs and says: "My three kids!"

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