Horizon Family Medical hosts disease self-management program

NEW WINDSOR - In its continuing effort to support patients and the community, Horizon Family Medical Group is offering a new nationally-recognized program to provide tools for the chronically ill to manage their diseases themselves, the company said in a press release.
According to the release, the goal of the patient-centered sessions, which are described as warm and friendly with group participation, is to empower patients, said Nancy Duzick, RN, one of the certified master trainers leading the educational sessions.
Her colleague, Certified Master Trainer Eileen Bromm, RN, said in the release that a chronic illness like diabetes, heart disease, COPD or hypertension can be overwhelming to a patient.
She and Duzick break it down into sections so the patient gains confidence and is eventually able to manage their disease on their own.
Some of the typical topics covered in the classes include feedback and problem-solving, preventing falls, selecting healthy foods as well as pain and fatigue management, the release said.
Called the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program,® it is a Self-Management Resource Center Evidence-Based Self-Management Program originally developed at Stanford University, according to the release.
The center also provides similar programs for patients with cancer, chronic pain, HIV and other conditions, the release said.
According to the release, its effectiveness was demonstrated in a 2013 study in the Journal of Aging and Health which concluded:
“Nationally, the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program not only improves health outcomes and lifestyle behaviors but also decreases costly ER visits and hospitalization. Geriatricians and other primary care providers should be encouraged to refer patients with chronic conditions to such self-management programs.”
The program follows stringent guidelines established by its originators, including Fidelity Checks to make sure trainers are adhering strictly to the protocol.
“That’s because they know that it works,” Bromm said,
The sessions are free and limited to 12 to 15 participants, which can include caregivers, the release said.
They take place weekly for six weeks and are 2-1/2-hours each, and are held at the HFMG New Windsor Training Center, 92 Old Route 9W, Suite 300 in New Windsor.
To register or for more information, contact Duzick or Bromm at (845) 458-8849.
According to the release, Horizon Family Medical Group is a National Committee for Quality Assurance Patient Centered Medical Home Level 3, the highest designation available, to ensure our patients receive the highest quality of care and coordination of their healthcare.
Horizon also received the 2016 HIMSS Ambulatory Davies Award of Excellence for outstanding achievement using health information technology to substantially improve patient outcomes, the release said.