Rehabilitation Category
Innovative State Diabetes Program Labeled a Success by Blue Cross
The McLean County in the State of Illinois has about 9,500 people or 7% of its population with diabetes. Of those, about 120 die each year from the disease. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois collaborated with McLean County employers and health care providers to develop and implement a diabetes intervention program called Diabetes Checks and Balances.
The first program of its kind in Illinois, Diabetes Checks and Balances encouraged people with diabetes to contact their physician to obtain four tests – a HbA1c, a LDL, and eye exam and screening for kidney disease. More than 600 area participants met the criteria for the exam and 29% completed all four of the tests, twice as many people as in 2006 when it first started.
Pine Bark Naturally Reduces Osteoarthritis, Lowers Joint Pain and Improves Physical Function
The pine bark referred to in this study comes from a maritime pine that grows along the coast of southwest France and is found to contain a unique combination of procyanidins
Bioflavonoids and other organic acids which offer extensive natural health benefits according to some studies. One of the chemical extracts of the maritime pine tree is Pycnogenol, an extract from the bark of the tree. This extract has been widely studied for the past 35 years and has more than 220 published studies and review articles ensuring its safety and efficacy as an ingredient in dietary supplements, multi-vitamins and health products around the world.
The “Age” of Healthcare has an uncertain future.
The old adage of “things will get worse before they get better” seems more and more to be the mantra of healthcare today. The troubles effecting today’s healthcare system are numerous and highly complex to the point that they must be hampering strategic planning. Several large issues are on the horizon for healthcare that if not addressed in the foreseeable future could spell out devastating problems.
Prescribing the Nintendo Wii
A friend of mine, who is a Physical Therapist, sent me an article about creative practices in Healthcare. He wanted to demonstrate how Providers are introducing new ways of engaging patients which subsequently improves outcomes and increases the quality of care provided. His point was that Healthcare Organizations and Practitioners are embracing creative strategies in order to provide a better level of service for their patients.
