July/August 2008

Applications Due for Healthy Worksite Awards

PFCD Launches New Promising Practices Guide, Web Site

Ohio Makes the Grade

Spring Training for Health Champions

OHA and 31 Ohio Hospitals Declared ‘Fit-Friendly’

Minority Health Month Request for Proposal

Hospital Honored for Rural Health Promotion

Fighting the Diabetes Epidemic

Encouraging a Healthier Workforce

Psychological Health Promotion Award

National Health Observances

Hospital Highlights – Health and Wellness Ideas Worth Sharing

Applications Due for Healthy Worksite Awards
The Healthy Ohio – Healthy Worksite awards recognize Ohio employers that demonstrate a commitment to employee health through comprehensive worksite health promotion and wellness programs. In 2007, Adams County Hospital, West Union, and St. Rita’s Medical Center, Lima, received the gold award and Dunlap Memorial Hospital, Orrville, and Parma Community General Hospital received the silver award for their commitment to employee health. The deadline to apply for the 2008 Healthy Worksite Award is July 11.

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PFCD Launches New Promising Practices Guide, Web Site
The Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD) recently released a new resource called Keeping America Healthy: A Guide To Successful Programs, which highlights successful health and wellness programs in schools, communities, workplaces, and within the health system. In addition to the extensive, hard-copy document, the Promising Practices Web site was launched so individuals can search the database of programs, submit additional programs to be considered for inclusion on the site and also download the entire guide and its accompanying materials. These resources provide 150 programs that assist organizations in creating their own programs to delay and prevent disease onset by focusing on health behaviors and risk factors such as poor diet, lack of exercise and smoking. For additional information contact Jenny Camper with the Ohio PFCD at 614.224.0658 or jcamper@lesiccamper.com.

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Ohio Makes the Grade
Ohio was one of nine states selected to participate in the State Quality Improvement Institute—an intensive, competitively-selected program designed to help states create and implement action plans that address health care quality issues. The State Quality Institute is a collaborative effort of AcademyHealth and The Commonwealth Fund. States were chosen based on commitment, leadership and resources necessary to build on previous success and conceptualize and implement new quality improvement efforts. Colorado, Kansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington were also selected. Each state will convene a team to develop policy and program strategies. Teams will have the opportunity to work with expert faculty to assess current challenges, analyze strategic policy options and revise or refine current state-specific plans. Teams will also meet with participating policymakers from other states to network and share their experiences and best practices. The institute kicked off in April and will conclude in the spring of 2009. 

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Spring Training for Health Champions
The Association for Community Health Improvement (ACHI) is accepting proposals for the opportunity to present at breakout sessions at its March 11-13, 2009, national conference in Los Angeles. Each year, ACHI hosts more than 450 professionals from hospitals, health systems, foundations, and public health and community health organizations for a gathering that stimulates real change and improvement in how community health programs are planned, run and evaluated. This year’s conference features four topic tracks of 30 concurrent breakout sessions and workshops. The deadline to submit proposals is Aug. 8.

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OHA, 31 Ohio Hospitals Declared ‘Fit-Friendly’
The American Heart Association declared OHA and 31 Ohio hospitals and health systems to be Fit-Friendly Companies, a national recognition that encourages employees to exercise and make healthy food choices.

Memorial Hospital of Union County, Marysville, is one of only 99 companies nationwide that received platinum-level recognition for attaining specific positive outcomes with its workplace wellness efforts. Others among about 500 companies in the nation receiving gold-level recognition for their efforts are Akron Children’s Hospital; Akron General Medical Center; Ashtabula County Medical Center; Barberton Citizens Hospital; Berger Health System, Circleville; Cleveland Clinic; Community Memorial Hospital, Hicksville; Fairfield Medical Center, Lancaster; Fairview Hospital, Cleveland; Fisher-Titus Medical Center, Norwalk; Flower Hospital, Sylvania; Fort Hamilton Hospital, Hamilton; Hocking Valley Community Hospital, Logan; Lake Hospital System, Painesville; Lima Memorial Health System; Marietta Memorial Hospital; Mary Rutan Hospital, Bellefontaine; Memorial Hospital, Fremont; Mercy Hospital Anderson; Northside Medical Center, Youngstown; OhioHealth, Columbus; Parma Community General Hospital; Robinson Memorial Hospital, Ravenna; Southern Ohio Medical Center, Portsmouth; Southwest General Health Center, Middleburg Heights; St. Luke’s Hospital, Maumee; Summa Health System, Akron; TriHealth, Cincinnati; Trumbull Memorial Hospital, Warren; and Union Hospital, Dover.

In addition to being declared a Fit-Friendly Company, Parma Community General Hospital is also one of 16 organizations nationwide to receive the Community Fitness Innovation Award for exceptional and innovative community wellness promotion.

To learn how to become a Fit-Friendly Company, visit the heart association Web site. The deadline to apply this year is July 30.

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Minority Health Month Request for Proposal
The Ohio Commission on Minority Health announced a Request for Proposal for Minority Health Month 2009 grants. The maximum award for this grant program is up to $3,000 per agency based on three funding levels. Minority Health Month occurs every April and is designed to:
 

Ø       Promote healthy lifestyle choices among Ohio’s economically disadvantaged minority communities;

Ø       Provide crucial information to allow individuals to practice disease prevention;

Ø       Showcase the resources for the providers of grass roots health care and information;

Ø       Highlight the resolution of the disparate health conditions between Ohio’s minority and nonminority populations;

Ø       Gain additional support for the ongoing efforts to improve minority health year round; and

Ø       Increase the opportunity to collaborate with local community resources.

Visit the Ohio Commission on Minority Health Web site to download a copy of the Request for Proposal, or write, e-mail or fax the commission at:

Ohio Commission on Minority Health
77 South High Street, 7^th floor, Columbus, OH 43215
Phone 614.466.4000      Fax 614.752.9049
E-mail: erin.conn@ocmh.state.oh.us

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Hospital Honored for Rural Health Promotion
The Ohio Hospital Association’s Foundation for Healthy Communities awarded Dunlap Community Hospital, Orrville, with the David Hendershot Rural Health Promotion Award at the OHA Annual Meeting last month. The 25-bed critical access hospital in rural Orrville promotes wellness efforts both internally and externally. Half of the hospital’s staff participates in its “Health Smart” program with financial incentives for achieving up to 13 wellness criteria, including regular exercise, healthy eating, stress management and adequate sleep. Outside the hospital, hundreds of local residents participate in walks, health fairs, a community weight loss challenge and other fitness events as part of its Growing Healthy Habits Community Coalition.

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Fighting the Diabetes Epidemic
Better Health Greater Cleveland recently released its new Web site: BetterHealthCleveland.org. Among other things, it contains a Letter to the Community stressing the importance of this project’s focus on the diabetes epidemic in Cuyahoga County, where more than 100,000 people have been diagnosed and an additional 30,000 have diabetes, but don’t know yet. This ambitious project will mean a better quality of life, fewer missed work days and fewer unnecessary hospitalizations for avoidable complications.

Better Health Greater Cleveland is an alliance of regional stakeholders committed to improving the health and quality of care for greater Cleveland’s residents with common chronic medical conditions. The aims of the project are to:
 

Ø       Promote high-quality and equitable care for people with chronic medical conditions that are typically managed in primary care physicians’ offices;

Ø       Report clinical measures of health outcomes and routine patient care of the region’s primary care practices to motivate improvement;

Ø       Help people who live with chronic conditions to be more knowledgeable, active and confident in their care;

Ø       Implement strategies to help patients and physicians work together to make Greater Cleveland healthier; and

Ø       Target selected elements of hospital care for quality improvement and better align with post-hospital care to maximize recovery and minimize readmissions.

The MetroHealth System is one of the founding members of Better Health Greater Cleveland and some participating members include the Cleveland Clinic, Louis Stokes VA Medical Center, Huron Hospital and the Center for Health Affairs.

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Encouraging a Healthier Workforce
According to a New York Times article, the percentage of adults classified as obese doubled to 31 percent of the population from 1980 to 2000. As a result, obesity accounted for 27 percent of the rise in medical costs during those years. These numbers have a drastic effect on employers' wallets. Not only do health insurance costs increase, but obese people also tend to miss more work than their thinner counterparts. Obesity also often leads to chronic health problems even more so than smoking or heavy drinking. However, companies can take cost-effective steps to encourage employees to lose weight and live healthy. Simple incentives like discounts at health clubs, reduced health insurance premiums and simple cash incentives can persuade employees to lose weight. With the support of OHA’s Foundation for Healthy Communities and $100,000 in grants, several Ohio hospitals are teaming up with employers and their local communities to address obesity as a workforce wellness concern. The five hospitals awarded with 2008 grant money are Blanchard Valley Hospital, Findlay; Community Mercy Health Partners, Springfield; Memorial Hospital of Union County, Marysville; Salem Community Hospital; and Twin City Hospital, Dennison.

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Psychological Health Promotion Award
The Ohio Psychological Association is now accepting applications for employers that create great policies regarding employee growth, recognition, work-life balance, and health and safety. The Psychologically Healthy Workplace Awards are a way to recognize businesses and organizations that demonstrate a commitment to the psychological health and well-being of their employees. The deadline to apply is Aug. 31. Access more information online.

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National Health Observances

Ø       The American Academy of Ophthalmology declared July UV Safety Month to educate people on the negative effects ultraviolet rays can have on eyesight. Visit its Web site for materials and information on UV Safety Month.

Ø       Prevent Blindness America declared August Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month. This month is meant to inform the general public about amblyopia and to provide tips on preventing eye injuries in children, signs of possible eye problems and general eye health information. For information, contact Prevent Blindness America online, or call 1.800.331.2020.

Ø       The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared August National Immunization Awareness Month to encourage communities to provide health screenings or fairs, media events and other related immunization outreach efforts to promote the benefits of immunization. Visit the Web site for more information.

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Hospital Highlights – Health and Wellness Ideas Worth Sharing 

Awarding Individual Efforts
Licking Memorial Hospital will be recognizing an individual, group of individuals or an organization in Licking County that has undertaken a non-profit project with a specific initiative that has improved the health of the community. The winner will be awarded with the Building a Healthier Community Award at the Lifetime Achievement Reception on Sunday, Oct. 26.

Tightening the Belt at the Clinic
According to an article in The Plain Dealer, the Cleveland Clinic is teaming up with Weight Watchers, as part of its larger wellness initiative, to offer free access to Weight Watchers meetings beginning Aug. 1. This is one way the Clinic is bringing health costs down and promoting wellness in the organization and the region, said Dr. Michael Roizen, chief wellness officer at the Clinic. The Clinic will continue to reimburse employees on other plans who enroll in the program and reach milestones in weight loss. In November, employees will also have free access to the Clinic’s three fitness centers and to Curves locations. The Clinic hopes to offer the same benefits to spouses and children of these employees, as well as employees on different health care plans. As part of the wellness initiative and the Clinic’s constant fight against tobacco, as of July 1, employees on the hospital’s health plan are also receiving free smoking-cessation services.

Too Much Baby Fat
According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, children’s hospitals around the country are beginning to implement obesity programs that target toddlers. Among these hospitals are the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital, Cleveland. These programs are designed to expose children to healthy lifestyle food choices early on to offset a possible obesity problem later in life.

INFORMATION TO SHARE?

Contact Mary Yost with questions on newsletter content or to share information for future issues of Healthy Communities.

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WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE FOUNDATION?

Visit the Foundation’s Web site at www.healthycommunitiesohio.org to learn more about grants, partnership opportunities and more. Contact Mary Yost at 614.221.7614 for more information.

Healthy Communities is provided by:

The Foundation for Healthy Communities of the Ohio Hospital Association