New Electronic Health Records Incentive Program Includes Obesity Measures
By Casey Langwith and Anna Muldoon, Members of The George Washington University’s Research Team for the STOP Obesity Alliance
Obesity GPS: A Guide for Policy and Program Solutions
The STOP Obesity Alliance Health & Wellness Chairperson, 17th U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Richard H. Carmona, facilitated a panel discussion for the launch of the Obesity GPS – featuring the Alliance’s Director, Christine Ferguson, the American Medical Group Association’s Julie Sanderson-Austin, and the American Heart Association’s Dr. John Ring.
16th and 17th U.S. Surgeons General Collaborate With Obesity Coalition To Discuss Obesity Within Health Reform - September 1st, 2009
Dr. Richard H. Carmona, Dr. David Satcher Join STOP Obesity Alliance to Convene Experts, Medical and Public Health Organizations to Ensure Epidemic is Addressed
WHAT: The Strategies to Overcome and Prevent (STOP) Obesity Alliance, a diverse group of consumer, provider, government, labor, business, health insurers and quality-of-care organizations, will convene an open discussion regarding how obesity should be addressed in forthcoming health care reform legislation. The Alliance will release a concise set of obesity-specific recommendations to help guide policymakers’ efforts to effectively address obesity, citing actionable solutions for improvement based on Alliance principles.
The Alliance will be joined by 17th U.S. Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona, M.D., M.P.H., FACS, the Alliance’s Health and Wellness Chairperson, and 16th U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher, M.D., Ph.D.
WHO: Richard H. Carmona, M.D., M.P.H., FACS, 17th Surgeon General of the United States (2002-2006), will address the critical importance of formally addressing obesity during health reform, and the opportunity to reduce the long-term burdens of chronic disease during health reform. Dr. Carmona is vice chairman of Canyon Ranch, president of the non-profit Canyon Ranch Institute, Health and Wellness Chairperson for the STOP Obesity Alliance
David Satcher, M.D., Ph.D., 16th Surgeon General of the United States (1998-2002), Director of the Satcher Health Leadership Institute and Center of Excellence on Health Disparities and Poussaint-Satcher-Cosby Chair in Mental Health at Morehouse School of Medicine, will discuss the prevention and treatment of obesity, and the importance of a broad collaboration among government, consumers, medical professionals and others to truly affect this change. Dr. Satcher released the Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity in 2001.
Christine Ferguson, J.D., P.I., Director of the STOP Obesity Alliance and associate research professor at The George Washington University’s Department of Health Policy will announce the guiding principles created by consensus from the STOP Obesity Alliance on the management and treatment of obesity.
Leading experts on obesity, public health and medicine will provide an in-depth analysis of each of the STOP Obesity Alliance’s recommendations in the areas of clinical interventions, prevention, community effectiveness, and research.
WHEN: Wednesday, September 9, 9:30 a.m. – 11 a.m.
* Media pre-briefing to take place 9:00 a.m. Please RSVP at tmurphy@ccapr.com
WHERE: Newseum, 555 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, 8th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001
WHY: With total costs rising to $147 billion in 2008 and accounting for an estimated 9.1 percent of annual health care spending, obesity is an epidemic that must be addressed as we work to reform the health care system. This forum will bring together prestigious health care organizations to discuss what best practices are taking place on a regional scale and what needs to occur on a national level to help inform policymakers as they move forth.
CONTACT: Tom Murphy/Chandler Chicco Agency – 202-609-6005, tmurphy@ccapr.com
The STOP Obesity Alliance receives funding from its sponsors, sanofi-aventis U.S. LLC., founding sponsor; and Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc., supporting sponsor.