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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Gregg Goldstein, BA¹, Melissa DiCarlo, BS¹, Louis Kolman, BS¹, Elizabeth Blidner, BS¹, Candice Cavicchia, BS¹, Christopher Almario, BS¹, Roi Altit, BS¹, Julianne Biroschak, BA¹, Maureen Clarke, BS¹, Anna Filip, BS¹, Lisa Fredian, BS¹, Jessica Hoge, BA¹, Helen Levey, BA¹, Beth Levitsky, BS¹, Ravi Patel, BS¹, Meredith Osterman, BS¹, Elizabeth Picinic, BS¹, Alexander Poor, BS¹, Josepth Portale, BS¹, Katie Schrack, BS¹, Abigail Templeton, BS¹, Maggie Thomer, BS¹, and Patrick McManus, MD². (1) Thomas Jefferson University, 1806 Rittenhouse Square Apt. 2104, Philadelphia, PA 19103, 917-601-5785, gregg.goldstein@jefferson.edu, (2) Department of Family and Commnunity Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University, 833 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19107

Currently there is a shortage of diabetes instructors and educational programs in the city of Philadelphia. Move4Health is a student-designed public health program at Thomas Jefferson University (TJU) that aims to improve the lifestyle of female patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. This program partners physicians from the TJU Department of Family and Community Medicine with medical, physical therapy and public health students of TJU. The name Move4Health is inspired by the World Health Organization (WHO) Move for Health initiative. This initiative focuses on active lifestyle changes to improve health by implementing local physical activity programs, increasing exercise and participation in sports and socio-cultural forums, and promoting healthy behaviors. The TJU program is an extension of the WHO initiative that creates a program specifically designed for type 2 diabetic patients in Philadelphia. Within the TJU Move4Health program, physicians refer female, type 2 diabetic patients to a student-led, 13-week class of diabetes-focused education and exercise. The students create and teach every class, monitor patients' progress and provide regular updates to referring clinicians. Move4Health recruited 11 patients and successfully maintained 7 patients over the first 13-week program. Each of these 7 patients attended at least 10 of the 13 weeks. Move4Health has recently completed its second 13-week program. Move4Health brings medical treatment into the community, extending the doctor's visit into a weekly fitness and educational session. Given its established structure and minimal financial requirement, this student-led model of diabetes care lends itself for replication at other health professional schools within Philadelphia.

Learning Objectives:

• Discuss how a World Health Organization initiative can be implemented on a local level.
• Develop endpoints to assess feasibility of a student-led diabetes exercise and education program.
• Construct a model program for diabetes chronic care management

Keywords: Diabetes, Chronic Diseases

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered