Mature Ηealth connections impact on non-communicable diseases in Philadelphia

Background: The World Health Organization defines non-communicable diseases (NCD) as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory disease. The risk factors associated with NCD are alcohol, tobacco use, decreased physical activity, and poor diet. The leading cause of mortality in Philadelphia in 2009 was heart disease at 217.1 per 100,000 residents. Diabetes ranked as the eighth leading cause of death at 20.4 per 100,000 residents. Smoking accounted for 16.1% of all deaths in Philadelphia. Description: Mature Health Connections (MHC) is a nurse led clinic that services the Germantown, Logan, Olney and West Oak Lane areas of Philadelphia. A community assessment was performed and the results revealed that Germantown, Logan, Olney and West Oak Lane all have heart disease, hypertension (HTN), diabetes, high cholesterol and tobacco use in common. The goal of MHC is to connect residents in the community with health promotion, health education, provide screenings, and navigate individuals through the health care system. MHC provides health education to both groups and individuals. The health education/health promotion topics include HTN, heart disease, diabetes, and healthy nutrition. Screenings are conducted for heart disease, HTN, and diabetes. The public health nurse recognizes that within the community, the emergence of health literacy is a major concern. Health literacy is linked with poor health outcomes when it comes to access to care, how to use resources, and the way the patient and nurse or provider interact.