New Resource for People with Multiple Chronic Conditions

“More than one in four Americans has multiple chronic conditions. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently released material specifically for them — and the people who care for them.

Multiple Chronic Conditions Education and Training includes a searchable database of nearly 70 education resources that allows people living with chronic conditions to easily find information that meets their specific needs. Additionally, HHS created a “curriculum” of six separate training modules to match with each person’s role in treating chronic conditions: person- and family-centered care; self-management support; complex care; inter-professional collaboration; coordinated care delivery; and a systems-based “team approach,” incorporating health IT and shared decision-making.

Visit HHS online to learn more about management of multiple chronic conditions, including a “day in the life” video for people living with them.” [Source: COPrevent]

Free resources for patients with diabetes

"Newly diagnosed patients with type 2 diabetes have a host of questions. The Where Do I Begin? booklet is available in English and bilingual Spanish from the American Diabetes Association. You can order free copies of Where Do I Begin? to give to patients looking for more information on living well with diabetes at www.diabetes.org/clinicians.

Patients can enroll in Living With Type 2 Diabetes, a free 12-month program That offers information, recipes, tips and more.  Patients can enroll at www.diabetes.org/living."  [Source: Association of Clinicians for the Underserved]

Diabetes Prevention Program in Colorado

"Eighteen sites offer the Diabetes Prevention Program in Colorado, including the YMCA of Metro Denver (720-524-2747). Two insurance plans in Colorado, UnitedHealthCare and Kaiser Permanente, cover the Diabetes Prevention Program for their members.  To find a DPP site near you, please call 1-800-DIABETES or view the sites offering the DPP in Colorado...

Taught by trained lifestyle coaches, this 16-week program includes weekly sessions on nutrition and physical activity, such as how to read food labels, how to develop and maintain a healthy diet, and how to deal with stress without overeating. People who lose just 5 – 7 percent of their body weight (10 to 14 pounds for someone weighing 200 pounds) greatly reduce their risk of developing diabetes. The Diabetes Prevention Program helps them reach this goal by eating healthier and increasing physical activity to a 30 minutes a day, five days a week.

To find out more about the Diabetes Prevention Program, please visit the DPP in Colorado or contact Kelly McCracken at kelly.mccracken@state.co.us."  [Source: COPrevent]

Asthma Awareness Month Resources

"When you can't breathe, nothing else matters. While asthma sufferers cannot take breathing for granted, well-trained clinicians can do a lot to help them breathe easier. [Association of Clinicians for the Underserved]'s resources are intended to help clinicians mitigate the disproportionate effect of asthma on the underserved...In one location, you can find resources including clinical guidelines, patient education and self-management materials, policy briefs, asthma reports, clinical toolkits, mobile technology and asthma information, and smoking cessation and tobacco materials."  [Source: Association of Clinicians for the Underserved]

Asthma Training On Demand

"ACU and the Clinical Directors Network (CDN) will present a live webcast on Building a Comprehensive Asthma Care Home: Engaging Clinicians, Patients and Caregivers in Comprehensive Asthma Management on April 25, 2 - 3 p.m. ET. Registration is free and the webinar has been approved for 1.0 prescribed credits by the American Academy of Family Physicians..."  [Source: Association of Clinicians for the Underserved]

Free Online Continuing Education Programs Available from the ADA

"The American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the Institute for Diabetes, Obesity and Cardiovascular Disease (iDOC) are offering two new, online continuing education programs for primary care providers that address individualized practical approaches to managing obesity in type 2 diabetes using a risk-based decision making approach.

These online, free-of-charge continuing education programs are:

• Shared Decision-Making for Clinical Success in the Obese Person with Type 2 Diabetes  Click here to register
• Clinical Shared Decision-Making with the Obese Person with Type 2 Diabetes and a BMI >35  Click here to register"  

[Source: COPrevent]

$25,000 Grants Available to Improve Patient Health Literacy

"The National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) announces the availability of $25,000 grants for primary care practice groups to plan and implement practice management changes that will implement laboratory blood testing prior to physical examinations of patients, providing additional opportunities to improve patient health literacy.  Three awards of $25,000 each will be made to qualified clinics, in addition to educational tools designed to inform patients with low literacy skills about blood tests...

Walter 'Snip' Young, PhD, Senior Science Consultant
Nat'l. Assoc. of Chronic Disease Directors
14945 Foothill Road, Golden, Colorado 80401
wyoung@chronicdisease.org, 303-358-4681
If interested, contact Snip before March 29, 2013." Click here for more information.  [Source: Colorado Rural Health Center]

Registration is now open for Tomando Control Colorado (Tomando Control de su Salud)

"Have you been patiently waiting for the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program for the Spanish speaking community?  Your patience is being rewarded! Registration is now open for Tomando Control Colorado (Tomando Control de su Salud)! Join us in Lakewood, Colorado March 26- 29th.

Now is also a perfect time to register for COAW's Summer Academy for Older Adult Wellness. Registration is open, so enroll now to join us in Denver May 30 - June 4, 2013.Visit COAW's website to read all about Introduction to Falls Prevention Programming, as well as Instructor and Leader Trainings in Tai Chi, N'Balance, Matter of Balance, Stepping On and Healthier Living Colorado (CDSMP).  You have waited long enough! Click here to enroll now: COAW.org

COAW is now an authorized IACET Provider, offering CEUs for programs that qualify under the ANSI/IACET Standard.  If you have any questions please contact me, or Pam Allen, Education and Communications Manager, 303-984-1845, 888-900-2629, or Pam@COAW.org." [Source: Consortium for Older Adult Wellness]

Free Online Diabetes Self-Management Workshops

"Nearly half of all adults live with one or more chronic health conditions, such as arthritis, asthma, diabetes, lung disease, heart disease, stroke, and osteoporosis but millions struggle to find ways to manage their condition. Our Better Choices, Better Health® program helps. Better Choices, Better Health® (BCBH) is the online version of the internationally recognized Chronic Disease Self Management Program, developed and tested at the Stanford University Patient Education Center..."  Click here to view the flyer and learn how to participate.  Participation is free through March 31, 2013.  [Source: National Council on Aging]

[Webinar] “Using an EHR and Quality Data to Improve Hypertension”

When: Friday, February 22, 2013, 2 pm EST

"In recognition of “National Heart Month,” in February, this webinar will focus on how safety net providers can utilize health information technology (HIT) to improve health outcomes in patients with hypertension. ..Presenters for this webinar are safety net providers from rural inpatient and community health center settings, who will share their best practices for helping patients control their hypertension."  Click here to register.  [Source: HRSA]

[Webinar] Kaiser's Success Story: 2012 Million Hearts High Blood Pressure Control Champions

Date: Thursday, February 14, 2013
Time: 12:00 - 1:00 PM (MT)

"The Kaiser Permanente Colorado High Blood Pressure and Cholesterol Management Program established patient registries and outreach lists to manage the care of all patients with high blood pressure and cholesterol in the company’s health insurance system. An integrated care model was implemented with the promotion of home blood pressure monitoring, blood pressure group visits, and patient education...It was estimated that this program prevented more than 135 deaths and 260 costly emergency interventions each year.

Individual physician practices can accomplish similar results using a registry to manage their patients. You are invited to join with Kaiser Permanente’s John Merenich, MD as he discusses those steps taken to great success and how you can use the same plan to take better care of your patient population."  Click here to register.  [Source: Colorado Foundation for Medical Care]

February 9th: Intensive Diabetes Management for Primary Care

When: Saturday, February 9, 2013
Where: Hyatt Regency 650 15th Street, Denver, CO 80202
Cost: $75
Click to register (Registration Closes February 9th)

An  upcoming professional conference, "Intensive Diabetes Management for Primary Care," is being offered by the American Diabetes Association Colorado, Wyoming & Montana.  It has been designed specifically for physicians, pharmacists, dietitians, certified diabetes educators and other health care professionals who care for patients with diabetes and who manage the complications related to this disease.  You will learn to identify technological advancements in diabetes care to improve glycemic control, describe current treatment options for patients with diabetes, including how to incorporate new agents, and more.   Certificates of Completion/Attendance are provided to registered attendees based upon completion of the online evaluation that will be available online.  Click here to learn see the conference flyer.    [Source: COPrevent]

New Diabetes Education Available!

"Are you worried that you or a loved one has diabetes?  The Health Care Advocacy Program is offering free health education to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities!

Tuesday, February 5th & Tuesday, February 12th
1:30pm to 3:00pm
1905 Sherman St. Suite 300 Denver, CO 80203

We encourage family, friends and professionals to join in as well!"

For more information please contact:
Alex Andrews; 303.974.2520 (office)

Click here to view the original flyer.  [Source: Health Care Advocacy Program]

Trainining in Diabetes Prevention Program is Available

On December 3th and 4th, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment organized a two-day Diabetes Prevention Program training for nine Colorado organizations who will offer the program in 2013...Is your organization interested in attending the next Diabetes Prevention Program training on March 4 and 5 in Denver? If so, please contact Kelly McCracken.  Click here to learn more about the efforts to roll out the Diabetes Prevention Program in Colorado.

RAC Launches Rural Obesity Prevention Toolkit

"In an effort to help rural communities better address the current obesity epidemic, the Rural Assistance Center has launched a Rural Obesity Prevention toolkit. This toolkit contains resources to help communities develop obesity prevention programs, building on best practices of successful obesity prevention programs..."  Click here to read more.  [Source: Colorado Rural Health Center]

New CDC Sodium Resource Available in Spanish

"CDC recently released “Controlling Hypertension by Learning to Control Sodium Intake: a Fotonovela”, part of the “Promotoras de salud contra la hipertensión” program. The fotonovela may be integrated in community health worker programs related to controlling blood pressure in Hispanic/Latino communities. The fotonovela speaks to Hispanic populations given their low control rates for hypertension, increased prevalence of high cholesterol, and eating patterns that are typically high in salt and saturated fats..."Read more online.  [Source: COPrevent]

FREE Kaiser Permanente Webinars

Kaiser Permanente offers a variety of webinars that you may interested in attending.  Webinars cover topics such as smoking cessation and diabetes prevention.  Webinars are free to members and non-members.  Additionally, past webinars are recorded and accessible online.  Click here to learn more about these webinar offerings.

New Free Online Workshop: Better Choices, Better Health®—Diabetes

Coloradans with high blood pressure, arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, or stroke can now access a free proven workshop that can help develop skills to better manage health.

The workshop, made available by The National Council on Aging (NCOA), has been rigorously tested by Stanford University and is considered one of the best-known self-management programs. The online resource is ideal for Coloradans who prefer an online format or are in areas without community-based Chronic Disease Self-Management Programs classes. Trained individuals, who also have diabetes, lead the workshops of roughly 25 participants.  Click here to register.

State Chronic Disease Plan 2012 Update

"The State Advisory Team was convened to coordinate with the Prevention Services Division of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to develop a chronic disease state plan.  This consistent group of stakeholders has helped us gain a deeper understanding of community input from around the state. Find out more about the chronic disease state plan, offer input and view a webcast of the most recent meeting from the June 2012 Chronic Disease State Plan Update."  Read more.  (Source: COPrevent)