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Implement activities into lesson plans that teach children how to maintain a healthy heart. Teaching children about choices from a young age may prevent chronic disease in the future. ... | Read More

Freedom from Smoking is a program designed by the American Lung Association that has been helping adults who are ready to quit smoking since 1981. Most people know that smoking is bad for their health, so the program's main focus is on how to quit because participants often have their own reasons for wanting to quit. Freedom from smoking is a group clinic taught by an ALA trained facilitator that meets for eight sessions. They also offer a web-based program available 24 -7. Participants benefit from the support of their peers and the classes review the latest research on the variety nicotine replacement therapies, such as gums and patches, as well as other smoking cessation medications. Each clinic session uses well tested methods aimed at helping smokers gain control over their behavior. In addition to the clinic, ALA has a workbook-style Freedom from Smoking self-help manual that can provide additional reinforcement, motivation and information that might help smokers interested in quitting on their journey. To find local clinics, interested parties can call the ALA, and employers or community organizations can also arrange to host a clinic to promote the health of their staff or members. ... | Read More

Freedom from Smoking is a program designed by the American Lung Association that has been helping adults who are ready to quit smoking since 1981. Most people know that smoking is bad for their health, so the program's main focus is on how to quit because participants often have their own reasons for wanting to quit. Freedom from smoking is a group clinic taught by an ALA trained facilitator that meets for eight sessions. They also offer a web-based program available 24 -7. Participants benefit from the support of their peers and the classes review the latest research on the variety nicotine replacement therapies, such as gums and patches, as well as other smoking cessation medications. Each clinic session uses well tested methods aimed at helping smokers gain control over their behavior. In addition to the clinic, ALA has a workbook-style Freedom from Smoking self-help manual that can provide additional reinforcement, motivation and information that might help smokers interested in quitting on their journey. To find local clinics, interested parties can call the ALA, and employers or community organizations can also arrange to host a clinic to promote the health of their staff or members. ... | Read More

Freedom from Smoking is a program designed by the American Lung Association that has been helping adults who are ready to quit smoking since 1981. Most people know that smoking is bad for their health, so the program's main focus is on how to quit because participants often have their own reasons for wanting to quit. Freedom from smoking is a group clinic taught by an ALA trained facilitator that meets for eight sessions. They also offer a web-based program available 24 -7. Participants benefit from the support of their peers and the classes review the latest research on the variety nicotine replacement therapies, such as gums and patches, as well as other smoking cessation medications. Each clinic session uses well tested methods aimed at helping smokers gain control over their behavior. In addition to the clinic, ALA has a workbook-style Freedom from Smoking self-help manual that can provide additional reinforcement, motivation and information that might help smokers interested in quitting on their journey. To find local clinics, interested parties can call the ALA, and employers or community organizations can also arrange to host a clinic to promote the health of their staff or members. ... | Read More

Freedom from Smoking is a program designed by the American Lung Association that has been helping adults who are ready to quit smoking since 1981. Most people know that smoking is bad for their health, so the program's main focus is on how to quit because participants often have their own reasons for wanting to quit. Freedom from smoking is a group clinic taught by an ALA trained facilitator that meets for eight sessions. They also offer a web-based program available 24 -7. Participants benefit from the support of their peers and the classes review the latest research on the variety nicotine replacement therapies, such as gums and patches, as well as other smoking cessation medications. Each clinic session uses well tested methods aimed at helping smokers gain control over their behavior. In addition to the clinic, ALA has a workbook-style Freedom from Smoking self-help manual that can provide additional reinforcement, motivation and information that might help smokers interested in quitting on their journey. To find local clinics, interested parties can call the ALA, and employers or community organizations can also arrange to host a clinic to promote the health of their staff or members. ... | Read More

Freedom from Smoking is a program designed by the American Lung Association that has been helping adults who are ready to quit smoking since 1981. Most people know that smoking is bad for their health, so the program's main focus is on how to quit because participants often have their own reasons for wanting to quit. Freedom from smoking is a group clinic taught by an ALA trained facilitator that meets for eight sessions. They also offer a web-based program available 24 -7. Participants benefit from the support of their peers and the classes review the latest research on the variety nicotine replacement therapies, such as gums and patches, as well as other smoking cessation medications. Each clinic session uses well tested methods aimed at helping smokers gain control over their behavior. In addition to the clinic, ALA has a workbook-style Freedom from Smoking self-help manual that can provide additional reinforcement, motivation and information that might help smokers interested in quitting on their journey. To find local clinics, interested parties can call the ALA, and employers or community organizations can also arrange to host a clinic to promote the health of their staff or members. ... | Read More

The 11th Street Family Health Services Center is a nurse managed clinic of Drexel University that serves Philadelphia's 11th Street Corridor - an area that encompasses several public housing tracts and suffers from limited access to affordable, quality health care services. The Center is centrally located within one of the Philadelphia Housing Authority's residential sites and has an Advisory Board comprised of neighborhood residents to ensure that the clinic is addressing the needs of the community. The clinic focuses on primary and preventive care and has recently added a Healthy Living Center, which provides programs to help patients reduce risk factors for diseases and to manage existing conditions. The Healthy Living Center programs include diabetes education, disease self-management programs, nutrition and cooking classes, exercise programs, and behavioral health groups. In addition, the Center serves as a training and education site for nurses and other health professionals in culturally competent, community-based care. The 11th Street Family Health Services Center is an excellent model of potential for partnerships between communities and medical institutions to improve the health and well-being of the community's most vulnerable residents. ... | Read More

In order to improve patient adherence to medication for high blood pressure, the American Pharmacists Association launched Project ImPACT (Improve Persistence and Compliance with Therapy) for hypertension in 2011 to foster collaboration between patients, physicians, and pharmacists that leads to improved adherence and maximum benefit for the patient's heart health. Project ImPACT provides patients with wireless at-home blood pressure monitors and pharmacists in ambulatory care settings can access the readings when patients come in to pick up their medication. These visits provide an opportunity to check for adherence to medications, monitor for progress and side-effects, set on-going goals for treatment, and resolve any problems that may arise. Since patients may only see their doctor once a year, these visits with the pharmacist allow follow-up throughout the year. The pharmacist is also able to provide the physician with the blood pressure readings from these mini-visits, painting a better picture of a patient's progress during the year. A study of Project ImPACT: Hypertension is being conducted now - results expected in 2012. ... | Read More

In order to improve patient adherence to medication for high cholesterol, the American Pharmacists Association developed Project ImPACT (Improve Persistence and Compliance with Therapy) to foster collaboration between patients, physicians, and pharmacists that leads to improved adherence and maximum benefit for the patient's heart health. Project ImPACT provides pharmacists in ambulatory care settings with access to immediate point-of-care patient data on fasting cholesterol levels using a finger stick blood sample taken when the patient picks up their medication every month or every three-months. These visits provide an opportunity to check for adherence, monitor for progress and side-effects, set on-going goals for treatment, and resolve any problems that arise. Since patients may only see their doctor once a year, these visits with the pharmacist allow follow-up between visits with a doctor. The pharmacist is able to provide the physician and the patient with the cholesterol readings from these mini-visits, painting a better picture of a patient's progress during the year. ... | Read More

Recording the illnesses of your parents, grandparents, and other blood relatives can help your doctor predict disorders you may be at risk of developing and actions that may reduce your risk. The "My Family Health Portrait" is a web-based tool that helps users organize family history information and then print it out for presentation to their family doctor. ... | Read More