Issue #8/April 2007

On Line Registration Now Available for

The 3rd International Conference on Patient-and Family-Centered Care

Seattle, Washington

July 30-August 1, 2007

Register Now

State of Maine Focuses on Patient- and Family-Centered Care
Profiles of Change: Mark Hines
The Child Life Council Turns 25!
The 3rd International Conference on Patient- and Family-Centered Care
Practical Information for Seminar Attendees
The Institute for
Family-Centered Care
7900 Wisconsin Ave, Suite 405
Bethesda, Maryland 20814
P: 301 652-0281
F: 301 652-0186
E: institute@iffcc.org
W:  www.familycenteredcare.org
State of Maine Focuses on Patient- and Family-Centered Care


Office of Maternal Child Health

In August 1935. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed into law new legislation to promote and improve maternal and child health nation-wide. Title V (MCH) of the Social Security Act was born, creating an Office of Maternal and Child Health in every state in the Union. Seventy years later, Title V remains the longest lasting public health legislation in our Nation.

The Federal Maternal Child Health Bureau requires each Title V agency to conduct an internal needs assessment every five years. In 2005, Richard Aronson, MD, Director of the Office of Maternal Child Health for the state of Maine, was eager and excited to discover how the people of Maine viewed these services.

Dr. Aronson is a long time advocate for family-centered care, community wide leadership, health promotion and resiliency, outreach and needs assessment, and cultural competence. True to his beliefs, he organized forums throughout the state of Maine; he hired external, neutral facilitators to conduct patient and family interviews and looked forward to suggestions for improvement.

And this is what he heard-from nearly 2,000 Somalis in Lewiston, from Cambodian and Lithuanian parents in Portland, and from Native Americans in Northern Maine-we need culturally and linguistically competent care. Mothers and fathers said we can work together on infant mortality, decrease adolescent substance abuse, curb obesity, if we are partners, using language we all share and understand.


The idea that Maine had cultural and linguistic competency issues was a new one for many of the health care providers! Five years ago, the state of Maine was the most racially homogeneous state in the union. Until the mid 1990s, Portland's population was overwhelmingly white and Christian. But now, the northeastern tip of New England is home to immigrants from scores of ethnic groups from around the globe, who came looking for new lives. Today, you can hear 57 different languages in Portland's high school.

And then, Maine's Office of Minority Health was created in 2005!

Dr. Aronson ventured, "We all have our own cultures, and our own biases. Can we join together embracing all cultures with unbiased language to create a partnership throughout the state?" Dr. Aronson and Ms. Sockabasin, the Director of the Office of Minority Health, have joined forces in a powerful learning collaboration with patients, families, and providers, to create a new partnership, Safe Families.

Maine is one of nine states to be awarded a two-year grant from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, to foster and sustain humane, family-centered, community-rooted, culturally proficient, and strength-based systems to promote the healthy development and safety of all young children.

Office of Minority Health

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) created the Office of Minority Health (OMH) in 1986, in response to the large and persistent gaps in health status among Americans of different racial and ethnic groups. The mission of the office is to improve and protect the health of racial and ethnic minority populations through the development of health policies and programs that will eliminate health disparities. The office advises the Secretary of DHSS on public health activities affecting American Indians, Alaska Natives, Asian Americans, African Americans, Latinos, Native Hawaiians, and other Pacific Islanders. For more information, see www.omhrc.gov/

Many states have Offices of Minority Health, which operate with a combination of state and federal funding. In April 2005, Maine hosted the biannual Eliminating Health Disparities Conference and Institute, where Governor John Baldacci announced the formation of the Office of Minority Health

The newly established Office of Minority Health promotes health and wellness in racial and ethnic minority communities throughout the state. Areas of priority include:

Cultural and Linguistic Competence: to address cultural and linguistic barriers to accessing all health services resulting in improved systems that are both culturally and linguistically competent.

Data Collection: to enhance data systems and improve the collection of racial and ethnic data in order to better understand and identify existing health disparities. This is especially important as the population becomes more diverse with the increasing resettlement of refugees.

Partnerships and Collaboration: to inform, advise, and assist in prioritizing actions to efficiently and effectively address racial and ethnic health disparities.

Our spring seminar will be held in Maine, the 40th state to establish an Office of Minority Health. The Institute is pleased to welcome Lisa Sockabasin, Director of Maine's Office of Minority Health, as a member of our Faculty. For more information about Lisa Sockabasin, please see last month's newsletter Pinwheel Pages, March 2007 Edition.

Profiles of Change: Mark Hines

Mark Hines found his calling, as a result of events that started in April of 2000. That's when Mark was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), an autoimmune disease that can affect the brain, spinal cord, and nerves. During that first year, Mark was able to walk but not able to work or drive. One day in the second year of his diagnosis, Mark woke up and couldn't move or even roll over in bed. Mark was hospitalized, spent some time in a rehabilitation facility, and receives treatment from Dr. Mary Hughes at MCG Health System's Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Clinic. The progression of Mark's MS has slowed. Currently, Mark takes several medications to help control muscular spasms and regulate his immune systems.

Serving as a Patient Advisor

Since his diagnosis, Mark found his calling as a volunteer Patient Advisor for MCG. Mark participates in numerous activities as a patient advisor and promotes patient- and family-centered care throughout the hospital.

MCG Health Partners Advisory Council


In 2002, MCG initiated a hospital-wide Patient and Family Advisory Council, MCG Health Partners, for its diverse adult population. The Council provides a mechanism for adult patients and families to share their health care experiences with key hospital leaders as a way to improve services. MCG selected Mark as an advisor because of his gift for working with people and his ability to communicate with other patients, physicians, and staff.
READ MORE


The Child Life Council Turns 25!


Congratulations on 25 years of supporting the psychosocial development of hospitalized children and providing children with developmentally appropriate activities that help them adjust to the hospital environment, prepare for medical interventions and procedures,and cope with their hospitalization and illness. May child life professionals continue to partner with families and other health care providers to support the resiliency and enhance the health and well
being of infants, children, and youth for the next 25 years!


With warm wishes to child life professionals everywhere,
Beverley H. Johnson, President/CEO
And All the Staff at
The Institute for Family-Centered Care

~~~


The Child Life Council, Inc.
is the leading membership association serving child life professionals as they empower children and families to master challenging life events. CLC was established in 1982 to address the professional,programmatic, and educational needs of child life practitioners.


Child life specialists are skilled in providing developmental,educational, and therapeutic interventions for children and their families under stress, recognizing family strengths and individuality,and respecting different methods of coping.

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April Good Search Goal

250 Clicks

Thank you for your Support!






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Thank you to

Kasian Architect, Vancouver, British Columbia

Joe Dimaggio Children's Hospital, Miami, FL

University Medical Center, Tucson, AZ

Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas

Baptist Memorial Health Care Corporation, Memphis, TN

Mission Hospital, Asheville, NC

Poudre Valley Hospital, Fort Collins, CO

for becoming Pin Wheel Sponsors of Patient and Family-Centered Care.

The 3rd International Conference on Patient- and Family-Centered Care

The 3rd International Conference on Patient- and Family-Centered Care
~~
Partnerships for Enhancing Quality and Safety
July 30-August 1, 2007
Seattle, WA

*Read More*

Practical Information for Seminar Attendees

HELPFUL (we hope) INFORMATION

We are so excited about seeing all of you in Portland, Maine,April 22-26, 2007 for the Hospitals Moving Forward with Patient-and-Family- Centered Care Intensive Seminar.
We want to share some practical information with you that may prevent unnecessary frustration.!#@!!!!


THE WEATHER:

As evidenced by last week's Nor'easter Spring comes reluctantly and unpredictably to Maine. By March, temperatures are warming, the snow is melting, and April and May are often filled with sunny days. However, April is the most erratic month, with daytime temperatures fluctuating from 45 to 60 F, and often, plummeting to the 30's at night.


The rule of thumb in Maine is be prepared for just about any type of weather.Bring clothing that will keep you warm; but that you can remove in layers, if for some unforeseen reason temperatures set an all time high next week!

This is the rainy season all over Maine and those delightful black flies are thrilled to see exposed arms. Long sleeves in the evening will thwart their determination to take a bite out of you! Before you leave you might want to check out the local forecast. http://www.weather.com


TRANSPORTATION

The Portland International Jetport is located 5 miles from downtown. The Holiday Inn by the Bay provides free shuttle services to and from the airport.

Vans are available from 4:00AM until 1:00 AM seven days a week! Pick up the courtesy phone located at the baggage carousel and tell them you need a ride. (This is the phone number just in case:(207) 775-2311)

If you need a ride during the three hours the shuttle is not running, transportation fares to and from Portland International Jetport, Amtrak Train Station, and Bus Terminals are regulated. Charges from the airport to Downtown Portland are about $15.00.


SAFETY

People in Maine live in one of the safest, most crime-free states in the nation. Maine has the 2nd lowest violent crime rate in the nation and the 6th lowest property crime rate in the country. The overall crime rate in Maine is the 5th lowest in the nation. The Portland and Bangor metropolitan areas are listed among the top 25 safest metropolitan areas in the country.


Taxes

* Meals & Lodging 7% * Sales tax 5%


Lobster bake:


Reserve your place at an authentic Maine Lobster bake created just for seminar attendees at the Portland Yacht Center. Space is limited- First Come, First Reserved. Our menu includes lobster (of course), steamed clams and mussels, chowder, corn-on- the cob, potatoes, dessert and drink. For an outrageously great time, talk to any of the folks at the Seminar registration table to reserve your spot!




Thank you to our

SUPPORTERS

CHAMPIONS

and

PARTNERS

for becoming Pin Wheel Sponsors of Patient and Family-Centered Care.

To learn how YOU can become a Champion of Patient- and Family-Centered Care, click below.