Printer-friendlyPartnering for a Healthy Tomorrow:
Preventing and Managing Chronic Disease in New Mexico
Event Overview
Chronic diseases—such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, arthritis and asthma—are among the most prevalent, costly, and, in many cases, preventable of all health problems. Six of ten New Mexicans who die each year succumb to a chronic condition. Many New Mexicans also live with disabilities and decreased quality of life due to one or more chronic diseases.
Controlling and preventing chronic disease requires a comprehensive approach that seeks to reduce the major risk factors and improve the social conditions associated with progressive illness. For these reasons, 170 people came together in Las Cruces and Albuquerque to become part of the Healthy New Mexico Task Force by participating in a Partnering for A Healthy Tomorrow events. These one-day forums resulted in specific recommendations on community, school, business, health care and government-driven actions to better prevent and manage the most common chronic conditions affecting New Mexicans.
Convener: The New Mexico Department of Health on behalf of the Healthy New Mexico Task Force
Organizer: New Mexico First
Where and When?
Las Cruces
Friday, April 3, 2009
Albuquerque
Friday, April 17, 2009
Who Attended?
- Community members and leaders
- Public health and healthcare professionals
- Educators, parents and students
- Persons living with chronic diseases
- City and county planning, recreation and transportation professionals
- Employers or human resource administrators of employee benefits plans
- Government officials and policymakers
- Health care administrators
New Mexico First focuses on attaining balance between various stakeholder groups so that all necessary viewpoints are present in the discussion. To this end, registration fee waivers were available to those who indicated they needed financial support.
What Happens After the Forum?
The forums took participants beyond the typical presentation-filled seminar and instead drew on their knowledge to find solutions to the issue at hand. Prior to the town hall, participants received a background report that provided valuable information on the prevention and management of chronic diseases, especially those that were highlighted during the forum: heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, arthritis and asthma. The report, which served as the basis for the discussions during the forumscan be accessed at DOH Forum Background Report.
The forums included a few guest speakers, all experts in their field, to set the context. This included representatives from the NM Public Education Department, NM Health Care Takes On Diabetes, the NMSU Extension Program, Roadrunner Food Bank, and the state legislature. However, the bulk of the work was completed in small groups by the participants themselves. By the end of the forum, each group drafted concrete recommendations for their local community, policymakers, and healthcare leaders.
The forums were facilitated by New Mexico First, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that brings together people to identify solutions to the state’s toughest problems. In New Mexico First’s 24-year history, it has engaged over 8,000 people in the democratic process. The organization conducts town halls and forums about important issues facing the state. In this case, New Mexico First conducted the forums through a contract with the New Mexico Department of Health.