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Updates

Improve HF 24 Month Progress Report:
Improvement on Six of Seven Heart Failure Performance Measures

Results from the HealthSciences Institute-supported IMPROVE HF study (The Registry to Improve the Use of Evidence-Based Heart Failure Therapies in the Outpatient Setting) were announced at the Heart Failure Society meeting in late 2009.
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New InFocus Series:
Evidence-Based Health Coaching

Is health coaching “pop psychology” or an effective approach for addressing the behavioral factors that are responsible for most chronic disease-related risks and consequences?
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Dr. Rick Botelho Appointed to Advisory Board:
Initiative to Focus on Self-Health of Health Care Professionals

HealthSciences Institute welcomes Rick Botelho, MD, Professor of Family Medicine and Assistant Dean of Faculty and Student Development at the new College of Medicine (Florida International University, Miami), to the HealthSciences Institute advisory board.
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CCP Online Video Library Expanded:
Motivational Interviewing in Health Care Series Planned

HealthSciences Institute currently offers the largest available online motivational interviewing (MI) video library to all participants enrolled in the Chronic Care Professional (CCP) certification program.
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LinkedIn Community Launched for Population Health Improvement Professionals

Looking for a place to network with your colleagues working on the front-line in wellness, chronic care improvement and care management programs in health plans, health systems and medical homes?
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Events

3rd Annual Chronic Care Professional (CCP) Preconference
Population Health Improvement, Medical Home Summit & National Retail Clinic Summit
Philadelphia Marriott
February 28, 2010 (1:00 to 5:00)

HealthSciences Institute will offer the third annual CCP preconference session from 1:00 to 5:00 on Sunday, February 28th at the Philadelphia Marriott in conjunction with the Population Health Improvement & Disease Management Colloquium (February 28-March 2), Learn more >

		Free CE Webinars Continue: Activating Patients to Improve Health and Reduce Costs with Dr. Judith Hibbard (February 5) You and your team are invited to join other organizations and professionals in wellness, chronic care and care management for our free, noncommercial monthly learning collaborative meetings. We know that webinars such as these are usually offered for hundreds of dollars. We're pleased to offer the same quality learning events at no charge and new opportunities to collaborate with your colleagues. On February 5th at 10:30 (CT) we’ll be joined by patient activation authority Judith Hibbard, Ph.D., Professor, University of Oregon. (If you could not join us for January 8th session with Tina Ross, Manager of Population Health for Capital Blue Cross on Benchmarking Disease Management Programs and Expertise, this event has been archived for free replay through February 4th). Each session is eligible for one hour of CE for CCP recertification. A certificate of completion will be provided to all who complete the live or archived program and evaluation. In March, we will learn about Kaiser Permanente’s Collaborative CVD and Diabetes Primary Care Program. A CCP community call follows each event at 11:30 (CT). Learn more >

News Articles

Workplace Wellness Programs Save $3.27 in Health Care Costs for Each Dollar Invested

More companies are offering workplace disease prevention and wellness programs. In 2006, 19 percent of companies with 500 or more workers reported offering wellness programs. A 2008 survey of large manufacturing employers reported that 77 percent offered some kind of formal health and wellness program. Despite the popularity of these programs, many employers are uncertain regarding the impact on employee health and health care costs. However, a new meta-analysis of the literature on costs and savings associated with these programs found that medical costs fall about $3.27 for each dollar invested in wellness programs. Additionally, employee absenteeism costs fall approximately $2.73 for every dollar spent. This analysis, published online in the journal Health Affairs, examined 32 studies of wellness programs in an array of industries and settings including schools and universities.
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ADA Releases 2010 Diabetes Care Guidelines

On December 29th, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) released the 2010 updated guidelines for diabetes. One of the major changes is that the ADA is now advocating the use of A1C testing for the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes and prediabetes. The ADA believes that by providing a faster, easier diagnostic test for diabetes, the number of undiagnosed patients will be reduced and it will be possible to better identify patients with prediabetes. The A1C blood test measures average blood sugar levels for the previous two to three months and has long been used in the management of diabetes. The new guidelines specify a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes at A1C levels exceeding 6.5%, and prediabetes for patients with A1C levels between 5.7 and 6.4 percent. According to Dr. Richard Bergenstal, president-elect of medicine and science for the ADA, "We believe that use of the A1c, because it doesn't require fasting, will encourage more people to get tested for type 2 diabetes and help further reduce the number of people who are undiagnosed but living with this chronic and potentially life-threatening disease.” He added “Additionally, early detection can make an enormous difference in a person's quality of life. Unlike many chronic diseases, type 2 diabetes actually can be prevented, as long as lifestyle changes are made while blood glucose levels are still in the pre-diabetes range."
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US Preventative Services Task Force Releases Guidelines for Obesity Screening and Intervention in Children & Adolescents

Since the 1970s, obesity in children and adolescents has increased three- to six-fold. Today, 12% to 18% of children and teens aged 2 to 19 years of age are obese based on body mass index (BMI) ratings. Obesity in children and adolescents increases risk for a number of chronic diseases such as diabetes in later, or in some cases, early life. While BMI has been found to be an effective strategy for measuring obesity in children and adults, it is not routinely used in physician practices. A January 18th guidelines statement posted online by the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends that clinicians screen children ages 6 to 18 years for obesity during routine health screening visits and refer as appropriate to programs to improve their weight status. All children and adolescents who are in the top 15% of body mass are considered overweight or obese and should be treated.
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Upcoming National Conferences

The Conference Board
Employee Health Care Conference
February 25-26, 2010
Marriott Marquis
New York, NY

Disease Management Managed Care Forum
March 23-25, 2010
Peabody Hotel
Orlando, FL

Case Management Society of America
20th Annual Conference & Expo
June 8-11, 2010
Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort
Orlando, FL

Chronic Care Professional (CCP) Onsite Events & Online Learning (Ongoing)

HealthSciences Institute is now scheduling regional and onsite CCP training programs for 2010. The one day live CCP program supplements the 40-hour online CCP program, covering the foundations of health coaching, chronic care improvement and care management. Action learning and team activities are also included to prepare attendees to apply evidence-based health coaching techniques such as brief motivational interviewing to address patient engagement, treatment adherence and lifestyle management challenges. Learn more about CCP or contact us for information about new organization delivery options or how leading organizations are incorporating CCP into new hire orientation, clinical staff training and tuition reimbursement programs. View a new case study on the implementation of the CCP program at Capital Blue Cross.

HealthSciences Institute
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www.HealthSciences.org