PBS Incentive Grants Awarded
Many PBS stations from around the country submitted applications to the Remaking American Medicine PBS-incentive grants program. They are planning a wide range of exciting community-based activities in conjunction with QIOs and affiliates of National Partners. RAM's lead sponsor, the Amgen Foundation, generously donated the funds to provide grants to the following recipients.
The members of the PBS Grant Review Committee spent a considerable
amount of time reviewing the
applications and coming together for a day-long meeting to provide their
expertise, to share thoughtful and comprehensive
discussion on each application, to deliberate on the very difficult
selection process and to award individual grant amounts.
Here are abstracts of each of the 21 recipients' projects (as of January 2006):
Arkansas Education (AETN)
Conway, AR
Project Description:
Arkansas is eighth among the 50 states in mortality due to heart disease, first in stroke mortality and ninth in cancer mortality. In addition, 27 percent of the state’s senior population is affected by Alzheimer’s disease. The goal of the AETN outreach campaign is to address the health care needs of patients and families suffering from these chronic diseases. Although the campaign is designed to reach the state’s entire population, special efforts are being made to also reach out to diverse populations and communities.
AETN is partnering with the Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care (AFMC), the Quality Improvement Organization in Arkansas; the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement; and the Arkansas Hospital Association, as well as with five hospitals and health clinics throughout the state. Champions of Change will be featured throughout the campaign. These are individuals and institutions that are committed to making quality improvements in health care.
A high-profile candidate for a Champion is Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee who is well known for his dedication to combating obesity. Governor Huckabee created the Healthy Arkansas Initiative that encourages Arkansans to stop smoking, exercise more and eat healthier foods. He has included this initiative in his Healthy America program as Chairman of the National Governors Association. The station expects that the Governor will serve as a Champion.
In October 2005, the station hosted an Obesity Leadership Summit of health care professionals to address the state’s obesity crisis, since obesity has a major impact on heart disease. This event also served as the first Remaking American Medicine (RAM) coalition meeting.
AETN will utilize its statewide broadcast network, a collection of print publications, a traveling exhibit and a companion Web site to maximize the reach of the Remaking American Medicine series and outreach efforts. The exhibit will travel to health-related conferences throughout the state, feature the RAM Champions of Change and provide a wide array of consumer resources on disease prevention and management.
Detroit Public Television (DPTV)
Detroit, MI
Project Description:
Detroit Public Television and MPRO, Michigan’s Quality Improvement Organization, are the primary partners in a statewide effort to reduce health disparities and improve the quality of care of underserved populations. Through public information and educational activities, the goal is to provide better quality health care throughout the state. To accomplish this goal, DPTV has enlisted the support of the Henry Ford Health System, Wayne State University, Detroit Medical Center, St. John’s Health, the American Medical Association and the state of Michigan’s Office of the Surgeon General.
Recently, the coalition agreed to also address the issues of chronic illness and chronic disease management. They enlisted the statewide Chronic Illness Association as a coalition member.
To complement the issues raised in the RAM series, DPTV will produce a 30-minute program that will highlight successful efforts to reduce health disparities in the area. It will be broadcast in tandem with the national series. The documentary will profile local Champions of Change, featuring the work of individuals and institutions that have eliminated barriers associated with providing quality patient care to underserved populations.
In addition, DPTV will produce an interactive Web-based training teleconference for health care professionals. It will feature experts from the RAM coalition who will discuss successful strategies they have undertaken to improve patient communication while encouraging better understanding of specific health care issues.
The programs and campaign activities will be promoted in the station’s program guide, featured on its Web site and publicized throughout the state. RAM coalition members will also help in the promotional efforts.
DPTV and MPRO are seeking funds to produce an additional 30-minute program entitled To Help You Heal that will feature local Champions of Change.
Iowa Public Television (IPTV)
Johnston, IA
Project Description:
The Iowa Public Television outreach campaign for Remaking American Medicine is focusing on the importance of increasing access to care for seniors. RAM coalition partners include the Iowa Foundation for Medical Care (IFMC), the state Quality Improvement Organization; the state chapter of AARP; the Iowa Department of Elder Affairs; the Council on Aging; the Visiting Nurses Association; and the Parish Nurses Association.
The coalition learned through a statewide assessment of seniors’ health care needs that those who are more active in their own care receive better treatment. Participants were asked about their attitudes toward doctor-patient relationships, where they obtained information about health care and how responsible they are in attaining proper care. The results were used to develop strategies for the campaign.
To support the campaign, the station will produce four segments for its weekly statewide public affairs program, Living in Iowa, which will target seniors and their health. The station will also produce a “Health Care Consumer Tool Kit” that will be distributed to nursing homes, home health care agencies, hospitals and other providers.
The RAM coalition is also identifying local Champions of Change, physicians and nurses in home health settings and in nursing homes.
Promotion activities include mounting a statewide publicity campaign, featuring Champions of Change on the station’s Web site and in its program guide and developing related collateral materials.
KETC
St. Louis, MO
Project Description:
KETC is partnering with Primaris Health, the Quality Improvement Organization for Missouri. The overall goal of the campaign is to better educate the public about health care delivery and to focus on patient- and family-centered care issues.
The RAM coalition, which now numbers over 30 organizations, includes the Missouri Hospital Association, the Missouri Department of Health, the state chapter of AARP, Senior Services and the Missouri Academy of Family Physicians.
Working with Primaris, KETC has produced four half-hour documentaries entitled Remaking Missouri Medicine focusing on quality health care issues addressed in the national series. The series features Champions of Change who have made a difference in chronic disease and acute care management.
The series will air in April 2006 and again during the September RAM premiere. The three other Missouri PBS stations will also air the series in April. This first broadcast will be the official kick-off of the campaign to the general public and KETC will devote the cover of their March/April Program Guide to the local RAM campaign.
The promotion plans include the production of handouts, a Letter-to-the-Editor template and a model press release for coalition members to use. Primaris and KETC will also produce a RAM PowerPointâ presentation template and a health care resource guide that coalition members will use at RAM community screenings, public events and discussions.
KETC is producing a RAM area on its station Web site that will be active through 2007. Primaris and other coalition members will provide content, and local programming will be streamed on the site.
The station will also produce four public service announcements encouraging viewers to become better advocates for their own health care. All four Missouri PBS stations have agreed to broadcast these public service announcements.
KETC is creating a DVD that will be made available to the public. It will include clips from the program and provide an array of useful tools and resources.
Rocky Mountain PBS (KRMA)
Denver, CO
Project Description:
In 2004, Rocky Mountain PBS, in collaboration with the Anti-Defamation League and the Colorado Foundation for Medical Care (CFMC), its state Quality Improvement Organization, initiated a community-wide outreach project called Healthy Impact! The goal was to create awareness about how vulnerable populations can overcome barriers with health care providers and to encourage viewers to become better advocates for their own health care.
The Healthy Impact! coalition has also adopted a series of recommendations that will continue to be addressed in RAM outreach efforts. Coalition members include Littleton Adventist Hospital, the Colorado Foundation for Medical Care, Regis University, Anthem Blue Cross BlueSheild, the Asian Pacific Development Center and the Colorado Hospital Association.
RAM outreach activities include training future physicians and nurses on cultural competencies, recruiting health professionals from minority communities, improving data collections regarding health disparities and providing language interpretation services for patients with limited English proficiency.
To kick off the RAM campaign, CFMC in collaboration with Rocky Mountain PBS produced a CD-ROM entitled A Guide for Colorado Physicians: Cultural Competency that encourages physicians to take statewide cultural competency training. The CD, which includes information about Remaking American Medicine, is being distributed to physicians, professional associations and policy-makers across the state.
Rocky Mountain PBS will also produce two specials for its weekly public affairs program, Colorado State of Mind, that will feature the quality improvement efforts undertaken by the Healthy Impact! coalition and Remaking American Medicine. In addition, the station plans to host a community Teleconference Summit in conjunction with the national series.
KSPS
Spokane, WA
Project Description:
Quality health care in rural Washington state is declining since many individuals
in remote areas do not have easy access to health care. To address this issue, KSPS joined with Inland Northwest Health Services to develop the Community Health Education Resources (CHER) coalition, which will be leveraged for the RAM campaign.
The RAM goals are to facilitate better access to health care resources and medical options for patients and families in rural areas. Coalition members include Qualis Health, the state Quality Improvement Organization; the Washington State Hospital Association; Group Health Northwest; and the local chapter of AARP, among others.
As part of the outreach effort, KSPS and coalition members are selecting a number of local Champions of Change, providers who have demonstrated a commitment to helping patients and families in rural areas. The station is producing four television programs featuring these Champions who will also appear in the station’s program guide, on its Web site and in the local press.
All of the other PBS and NPR stations throughout the state have agreed to work together to host community discussions and program screenings around the national broadcast. Coalition members will also produce related collateral and online educational materials, some of which will be in Spanish and Russian.
Louisiana Public Broadcasting (LPB)
Baton Rouge, LA
Project Description:
Louisiana Public Broadcasting is working closely with the Louisiana Health Care Review, the state Quality Improvement Organization. The campaign goal is to underscore the importance of quality health care and to increase consumers’ understanding of health care delivery. Other RAM coalition members include the Louisiana Nursing Home Association, the Louisiana Hospital Association, Volunteer Hospital Association, the state chapter of AARP, the HomeCare Association of Louisiana and the Louisiana State Medical Society.
The outreach effort will feature a series of statewide Patient Education Seminars that will emphasize the importance of quality health care. Speakers will include providers, a representative from the Governor's office and a representative from the Senior Health Insurance Information Program.
Working with its coalition members, LPB is also compiling information about patients’ rights and reports about provider services throughout the state. This information will be made available to coalition members and the public beginning in early 2006.
Outreach activities include a series of town meetings with providers and the public around the state in February and March. LPB will produce a live town hall meeting called Louisiana Public Square that will encourage patients and families to become stronger advocates for their own health care. The impact of Hurricane Katrina and Rita, specifically the issue of adequate access to health care, will be discussed at that event.
Maryland Public Television (MPT)
Owings Mills, MD
Project Description:
Maryland Public Television will utilize Remaking American Medicine and its resources to focus on the issue of cardiovascular care for seniors. Coalition members include the Delmarva Foundation, the American Heart Association, the state chapter of AARP and the Maryland Department of Aging.
To kick-off the coalition effort MPT hosted a Summer Leadership Summit on senior wellness. The coalition is using this feedback to assess health care needs for seniors.
As part of the outreach campaign and close to the series premiere, MPT will host screening and discussion events for seniors at nursing homes and hospitals. The coalition will develop “healthy heart checklists” to be distributed at these events.
Promotion activities include selecting Champions of Change, individuals and institutions that have impacted senior health. They will be featured on the station Web site along with the “healthy heart checklists.”
MPT is developing a proposal to conduct a regional summit entitled “Envisioning the Ideal in Patient- and Family-Centered Care” in collaboration with PBS station WHUT in Washington, D.C., with possible participation by WETA in Arlington, VA.
Nebraska Educational Telecommunications (NET)
Lincoln, NE
Project Description:
Nebraska Educational Telecommunications (NET) will focus on patient- and family-centered care and patient safety for their Remaking American Medicine outreach campaign. The goal is to inspire consumers, with a special emphasis on seniors, to be more proactive in meeting their own health care needs.
Coalition members include CIMRO-Nebraska, the state Quality Improvement Organization; the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services; the state chapter of AARP; the Nebraska Division of Aging; Nebraska Office of Public Health; and Nebraska Association of Home and Community Health Agencies, among others.
To complement the series broadcast, the coalition will develop outreach and promotional materials that will assist viewers in determining if they or their family members are receiving consistently safe, timely and appropriate health care from physicians, hospitals and long-term care facilities. RAM screening events will also take place across the state and discussions will address these issues.
Dr. Sheila Ryan, Ph.D., professor in the College of Nursing at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, is a member of the RAM series national advisory panel. She has agreed to participate in the statewide campaign and will help in the selection of local Champions of Change who will be featured on NET’s weekly news magazine, Statewide, in the station program guide, on its Web site and in the press.
NET recently produced a RAM promotional clip and brochure for distribution at several fall statewide health conferences for hospitals, rural health facilities, community health organizations and pharmacists.
Coalition partners will be actively engaged in the promotion campaign. For example, CIMRO is writing a story about Remaking American Medicine and Nebraska outreach efforts for Physician Reviewer Quarterly.
CIMRO’s Web site is the organizing tool for the coalition. Coalition partners are also developing their own individual RAM Web sites that will provide consumer information and related campaign materials. NET will launch its RAM Web site in January 2006.
New Jersey Network (NJN)
Trenton, NJ
Project Description:
Based on research from the New Jersey Collaborative Center for Nursing of Rutgers University, New Jersey is currently experiencing a serious nursing shortage with a projected 43 percent reduction in the workforce by 2020. New Jersey Public Television and its local NPR station are mounting a statewide campaign about this important issue as well as addressing the shortage of other health care providers.
The statewide RAM Community Partners Coalition has more than 20 members that include the state chapter of AARP, American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, New Jersey Hospital Association, Rutgers University School of Nursing, Hackensack University Medical Center and the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital.
In October 2005, NJN held the first of four coalition meetings. Topics addressed included the shortage of professors and the importance of increasing student enrollment in nursing schools. At that time, the coalition discussed a number of outreach efforts that should be undertaken, including the selection of Champions of Change who are concerned about this issue as well as related programming activities and a formal project evaluation.
In conjunction with the RAM series premiere in September 2006, NJN will broadcast a statewide panel discussion that will address nursing shortages. It will feature medical professionals, state agency officials, nursing education leaders and other decision-makers. NJN will also produce segments on this subject for its nightly news program, Healthwatch, and for NJN News that airs on WNET/New York.
Coalition members will be actively engaged in the promotion of Remaking American Medicine. For example, nine New Jersey hospitals have volunteered to host RAM screenings and discussions prior to the series premiere. They include the Hackensack University Medical Center, which is being featured in Remaking American Medicine.
South Carolina ETV (SCETV)
Columbia, SC
Project Description:
South Carolina’s rural community is nearly leading the nation in the percentage of its population suffering from chronic diseases. The primary goal of the SCETV campaign is to educate the public, and senior citizens in particular, on how to manage their chronic illnesses and how to access appropriate tools and resources.
The RAM coalition includes Carolinas Center for Medical Excellence (CCME), the state’s Quality Improvement Organization; the state chapter of AARP; the South Carolina Hospital Association; and the South Carolina Medical Association, among others.
The campaign has already included RAM presentations and discussions at medical conferences and workshops for senior citizens. Between August and November 2005, SCETV made six presentations to hospitals, home health agencies and nursing homes and distributed informational material to providers and patients.
In addition, in October, SCETV and CCME held a RAM Senior Health Exhibit at the South Carolina State Fair for more than 6,000 attendees. The Exhibit featured RAM program clips and promotional information about the series. More than 80 staff and coalition members participated in the event, including representatives from the Department of Health and Environmental Control, the Division on Aging, and AARP.
Outreach activities in the coming year will include a town hall meeting featuring local Champions of Change who will discuss how to deal with chronic illnesses. The station will promote Remaking American Medicine on its Web site, in its program guide and in statewide publicity efforts. In addition, SCETV will produce several related health care “features” that will be broadcast on Clemson University’s daily public affairs program.
South Dakota Public Broadcasting (SDPB)
Vermillion, SD
Project Description:
South Dakota has a large American Indian population. Access to adequate health care is often a barrier because of skyrocketing costs and remote locations. South Dakota Public Broadcasting (SDPB) is partnering with the South Dakota Foundation for Medical Care, the state Quality Improvement Organization, to inform this audience as well as other underserved and rural populations about their rights and responsibilities for attaining quality health care.
The goal of the outreach campaign is to empower patients and their families. The “Power to the Patient” RAM coalition includes the South Dakota Department of Health, the South Dakota Nurses Association and the South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations.
The station will produce a special primetime edition of a weekend health series entitled On Call, which will air in conjunction with Remaking American Medicine. It will provide useful information including a complementary brochure containing patient empowerment tips and resources that will be made available to viewers. The brochure will be available on the station Web site and distributed at community events and American Indian reservations.
In addition, the station and its coalition partners will hold community screenings, discussion groups and family health fairs throughout the state. One screening event will be held on an American Indian reservation.
Twin Cities Public Television (TPT)
St. Paul, MN
Project Description:
The goal of the RAM outreach campaign is to address issues of chronic and acute care in aging populations and immigrant communities. TPT has developed the Community Healthcare Awareness Initiative (CHAI) in partnership with Stratis Health, the state Quality Improvement Organization; the Buyers Health Care Action Group; the Metro Area Agency on Aging; the local chapter of AARP, Hospice Minnesota; and the End of Life Coalition.
TPT will produce two companion programs that will air in conjunction with Remaking American Medicine. One will focus on the achievements of providers and institutions in chronic care best practices and will feature statewide Champions of Change. The second program will report on a community forum, facilitated by Stratis Health, that will address such topics as how patients can receive better access to health care. Both of these programs and the series will be featured on the station’s Web site, in its program guide and via the local media.
CHAI coalition members will be involved in promotional efforts. For example, they will develop a project kit that contains consumer tools that will be available to viewers and distributed to health care organizations, related caregiver support groups and public libraries.
The University of North Carolina TV (UNC-TV)
Research - Triangle Park, NC
Project Description:
For the Remaking American Medicine outreach campaign, UNC–TV will build on its successful three-year health initiative entitled HealthWise that was developed to address the issues of chronic care and health literacy for seniors.
RAM coalition members include the Governor’s Emerging Issues Task Force, the North Carolina Health and Wellness Trust Fund Commission, the North Carolina Medical Society, NC State Department of Health and Human Services, the University of North Carolina Hospital System, The Duke Foundation, the North Carolina Board of Nursing and the North Carolina Nursing Association, among others.
In September 2005, UNC-TV hosted a community forum on quality health care
with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), a National Partner of Remaking American Medicine. Dr. Carolyn Clancy, president of AHRQ and a member of the RAM National Awareness Advisory committee, was a keynote speaker. Following the forum Dr. Clancy was interviewed on the station’s nightly news program, NC Now.
In November 2005, the coalition met to accept nominations for Champions of Change. The North Carolina Institute of Medicine will review all nominations and make final selections in March 2006.
Outreach activities in the coming year will include a health summit/training workshop with experts addressing issues of health literacy for seniors. Leading up to the premiere of the series, UNC-TV will produce monthly segments on managing chronic care for its local series, Focus on Health. It will promote Remaking American Medicine in its program guide and feature the Champions of Change on its Web site and in the local press. It will also encourage its coalition partners to take an active role in promoting all aspects of the campaign.
WCVE/WHTJ
Richmond, VA
Project Description:
The focus of the RAM campaign in Virginia is to address the health care needs of uninsured and underserved patients. WCVE/WHTJ is partnering with the Virginia Health Quality Center (VHQC), the state Quality Improvement Organization; the Virginia Commonwealth University’s Medical College; and the NPR stations in Richmond and Charlottesville. With a total of 30 members, the coalition includes hospital administrators, physicians, nurses and city representatives.
The station is currently working with the VHQC to produce a Health Care Passport, a pocket-sized guide to medical tests and other items that patients can use when discussing their health care needs with physicians and other providers. It will be available on the station Web site and copies will be distributed to other Virginia PBS stations that will be asked to promote its availability.
In conjunction with the RAM series premiere, WCVE/WHTJ will produce a live call-in program that will focus on the goals of the campaign, while encouraging patients to become stronger advocates for their health care. Guests are yet to be determined. The station is currently in negotiations with the Richmond Times Dispatch to secure a special feature where readers may submit questions to the station in advance.
The station will also host several community screenings of the series followed by discussion groups led by local providers. It will create a companion health area on its Web site and develop related materials for the City of Richmond’s online community guide.
WEDU
Tampa, FL
Project Description:
WEDU is working closely with Florida Medical Quality Assurance, Inc. (FMQAI), the state Quality Improvement Organization. The goal of this campaign is to address the issues of diabetes prevention and management within the Hispanic and Latino communities. The campaign will engage local and statewide stakeholders, health care professionals, community organizations, non-professional caregivers and consumers. RAM coalition members include the American Diabetes Association and the Tampa Bay Healthcare Collaborative, which consists of a number of citywide health care organizations.
In fall 2005, WEDU hosted a discussion event aimed at local physicians. The keynote address was given by Dr. Adolfo Valadez, Medical Director of the City of Austin and Tarrant County Health Department, a nationally recognized leader in the field of diabetes.
This was followed by a televised panel discussion entitled Diabetes and You, co-produced by WEDU and FMQAI, which featured providers who are experts in diabetes management. A help line staffed by volunteers from the American Diabetes Association answered viewer calls. There was a repeat broadcast of the program in November.
A bilingual booklet addressing questions related to the prevention and treatment of diabetes was made available to callers and also placed on the station’s Web site.
In the coming year, WEDU plans to rebroadcast Diabetes and You several times, particularly around the series premiere. As in previous broadcasts, the program will be supported with a phone bank of volunteers. The special will be made available to all other PBS stations in Florida. In addition, the station is working with the local NPR station to produce related programming.
The station will select local Champions of Change who will participate in the outreach effort. In addition, WEDU will partner with the Community Health Advocacy Partnership to distribute the Diabetes and You bilingual booklets at health screenings and related events.
WETA
Arlington, VA
Project Description:
According to the American Heart Association (AHA), African-American women face a greater threat of death from heart disease than women of other races. WETA, the public television station in the nation’s capital, is initiating a patient- and family-centered campaign that will focus on cardiovascular disease management and prevention among African-American women. The station will select several local Champions of Change who will participate in the campaign.
The campaign is intended to heighten awareness and encourage individuals to become more informed and better advocates for their own health care, specifically in the area of heart disease. Current RAM coalition members include the Delmarva Foundation of the District of Columbia, the local Quality Improvement Organization; the D.C. office of the American Heart Association; the National Association of Black Nurses; and the Capitol City Cardiovascular Wellness and Rehabilitation Center, among others.
The coalition believes that the church is a key institution when addressing these types of health related issues, particularly with the support of its health ministries program. Therefore, WETA and its coalition members will focus mostly on area African-American churches and community groups.
For example, the coalition will conduct a series of educational forums entitled Remaking the District’s Medicine: The Intersection of Faith and Health that will be held at churches and community groups. In January the coalition will convene a focus group to determine workshop topics. The station plans to explore both treatment and prevention issues related to heart disease.
In February, WETA and the American Heart Association will sponsor a RAM booth at the African-American Health Fair for women in Washington, D.C. WETA and AHA will provide information about heart disease as well as publicize Remaking American Medicine.
WETA will produce several three-minute segments featuring local Champions of Change who will also be featured on its Web site and in the press campaign. Other coalition members will assist in the outreach efforts to community-based clinics and other African-American special interest groups.
WFYI
Indianapolis, IN
Project Description:
WFYI is addressing the issues of patient- and family-centered care for its Remaking American Medicine outreach campaign. The campaign goal is to assist patients in effectively managing their own health care. Coalition members include Health Care Excel, the state Quality Improvement Organization; the Indiana School of Medicine; the University of Indianapolis School of Nursing; the Riley Children’s Hospital; and the Central Indiana Council on Aging.
The coalition has identified six areas to address during the outreach campaign. They are medication management, how to talk to health care providers, patient safety in hospitals, resources for the underserved, chronic disease management, and how patients should communicate with family members. WFYI is developing outreach activities to address these issues.
Promotion activities include the development of a RAM area on the station’s Web site. The site will launch in February 2006 and include consumer tools and resources, produced by coalition members. In December, the station published in its Member Magazine the first of eight “quick tips” for consumers addressing areas covered in the outreach campaign (see above). These will also appear on the Web site.
Other planned outreach includes RAM conference presentations, Web-based discussion forums and community screenings.
WHUT
Washington, D.C.
Project Description:
WHUT is initiating a major outreach campaign that underscores two themes -- “Caring for Your Health” and “Quality Care for All.” The first will explore the role of the individual in preventative care. It will emphasize access and making the best use of local acute and preventive care facilities and resources. The second will examine regional health care policies. Its RAM coalition includes the Delmarva Foundation, the local Quality Improvement Organization; Howard University Hospital; the D.C. Department of Health; the American Hospital Association; the National Medical Association; and NBC 4.
In September 2005, WHUT produced a forum featuring Dorothy Height, president of the National Council of Negro Women, and Dr. Rosalyn Payne Epps discussing access to health care for minorities that will be used for broadcast minutes throughout the campaign. The discussion outcomes are being used to focus outreach efforts.
The RAM coalition will also use a report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), a RAM National Partner, on D.C. regional health care disparities as a basis for campaign activities.
Promotional activities include featuring RAM and the local outreach campaign on the newly developed “Community Page” on the station’s Web site. In January, the station sponsored a booth at the NBC-4 Health Expo and distributed RAM flyers to more than 500 visitors.
Planned outreach for 2006 includes producing programming focusing on health care policies and preventive care for breast cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, HIV/AIDS and diseases affecting minority communities.
WHUT is also seeking funding to hold an “Envisioning the Ideal in Patient- and Family-Centered Care” regional summit in conjunction with PBS stations WETA and Maryland Public Television, with possible participation by WETA, Arlington VA.
WHYY
Philadelphia, PA
Project Description:
WHYY is a member of the Philadelphia Area Caring Community Coalition, a coalition of 100 partner organizations across the region that for the past six years have been addressing important health issues. The station is using Remaking American Medicine to enhance and leverage these ongoing community efforts.
On behalf of RAM, WHYY has recruited additional coalition members including the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania, the New Jersey Hospital Association, the local chapter of AARP, the Delaware Healthcare Association, the American College of Physicians and the American Board of Internal Medicine. The goal of this campaign is to address the needs of medical education and to improve provider communication skills.
The coalition has selected the Longitudinal Experience to Appreciate Patient Perspectives (LEAPP) program at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine as a RAM Champion of Change. The program follows a group of medical students who are working with chronically ill patients. The goal is to improve the patients’ care and the students’ communication skills with patients. WHYY will feature the program in a 30-minute documentary to be broadcast close to the RAM series premiere in September 2006.
Promotional activities include featuring the RAM series, local Champions of Change and other campaign activities on the station’s Web site and in its program guide.
In November 2005, WHYY hosted a community quality forum with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Dr. Carolyn Clancy, president of AHRQ and a member of the RAM National Awareness Advisory committee, served as keynote speaker.
In February, WHYY will convene a “Community Leadership Summit on Health and Healthcare.” Inspired by Remaking American Medicine, the Summit will convene leaders from the health care community, insurers, local business groups and purchasers to share concerns and seek solutions through institutional collaboration and partnership.
Additional outreach activities include hosting a screening/community forum for medical school leaders, providers and the general public. It will address the medical education needs in Philadelphia and surrounding communities. The station will also produce a complementary radio program for its NPR series, Voices in the Family.
WTTW
Chicago, IL
Project Description:
WTTW is partnering with the Illinois Foundation for Quality Health Care (IFQHC), the state Quality Improvement Organization, and the American Diabetes Association to address the cultural differences in treating diabetes within the Hispanic and African-American communities.
In collaboration with the Illinois Hospital Association, the station is forming a coalition with area hospitals including Northwestern and the University of Chicago Medical Center, among others, to hold RAM screening events. The coalition is working with communications staff to enlist CEOs, physicians and administrators to lead discussions during the screenings and for internal promotion of the RAM series and outreach efforts.
WTTW will also produce a local program that will feature a roundtable discussion as well as stories about diabetes management and prevention for Chicago Tonight, its local public affairs program. It is working with IFQHC and PBS station WSIU in Carbondale, IL to host a follow-up town hall meeting in that area of the state. If additional funding is secured, WSIU may produce additional programming.
Promotion activities include producing flyers and posters and developing radio and Web-based activities to support the campaign. WTTW will also work with IFQHC to develop a different outreach activity each night of the series broadcast to complement the issues addressed in the programs.
