2015 APHA Annual Meeting & Expo

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Recorded Annual Meeting Presentations (RAMP) are now available for purchase.
Only $90 for presenters, $140 for registered attendees and $200 for non-attendees.

Online Program

333769
Where Clinic Meets Community: Supporting Chronic Disease Management through Programs at the Y


Monday, November 2, 2015 : 9:15 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.

Maureen Pike, BSN, RN, MPH, Healthy Living Department, YMCA of the USA, Chicago, IL
Ann-Hilary Heston, Healthy Living Department, YMCA of the USA, Fayetteville, NC
Audio (mp3) recording Recorded Presentation (mp4)
Community-based organizations with national affiliate networks have the ability to reach a large number of people across varied settings, infrastructure for broad-scale dissemination, and trust among those they serve.  The Y is leveraging its national network to impact public health by addressing the continuum of personal and environmental factors that impact one’s ability to achieve good health. The Y is in an ideal position to supplement the traditional health care delivery system through nationwide scaling of programs and strategies that promote well-being, reduce risk, and help individuals reclaim their health after a chronic disease diagnosis.

While preventing disease is key, approximately 50% of U.S. adults already have at least one chronic disease, and 25% have more than one. The Y’s portfolio of tertiary prevention programs offer physical activity and/or social support to individuals living with diseases like cancer and arthritis. The cancer survivorship program exists in 37 states and has served more than 27,000 survivors to date.  The arthritis program currently exists in 23 states and has served more than 5,000 participants, with results indicating significant improvement on strength and cardiovascular assessments for participants in the program.

Efforts to connect programs to the healthcare system have resulted in an increase in patient referrals to the Y arthritis program, from ≤1% in 2013 to over 20% in 2014. Ys must continue to deepen their knowledge of health care systems and practices and invest significant time into partnership development with providers that will increase patient referrals for these programs to better support those living with disease.

Learning Areas:

Chronic disease management and prevention
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs

Learning Objectives:
Discuss how nationwide community-based organizations can leverage their networks to impact public health. Explain the process by which a community-based organization with a nationwide network can serve as an adjunct provider of services traditionally delivered by healthcare providers. Identify promising practices for building clinic-to-community linkages to support those reclaiming their health

Keyword(s): Physical Activity, Chronic Disease Management and Care

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: As Technical Adviser I support and advance the dissemination of chronic disease prevention programs designed to reduce health risks in the context of established chronic diseases. Specifically I manage and provide support and technical assistance to YMCAs that are involved in programs for people with arthritis and cancer survivors.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 3073.0: Leveraging a National Network to Promote Well-being, Reduce Risk, and Reclaim Health Across the Nation: The YMCA Perspective