York and Adams Counties Take Heart Disease & Diabetes Head On

(York, Pa.) – What’s all of the hype about? A major health movement is about to sweep through the communities of York and Adams counties. Nearly 200,000 people in York and Adams Counties are living with diabetes or heart disease, and employers, businesses, community organizations, and individuals are ready to take the next step to improve these chronic conditions. So, how are they going to do this? It’s called the I Can! Challenge. The community-wide initiative will help those with heart disease or diabetes improve their health and better manage their condition.

Developed by Aligning Forces for Quality South Central Pennsylvania, the I Can! Challenge is a free 12-week program that will provide participants with direction and support with diet, exercise, stress relief and more. By signing up online (www.ICanChallenge.com) or calling a toll-free hotline, anyone with these conditions in these two counties can take part in the Challenge! A different health challenge will be featured each week, and those who register will be provided all the tools and information to complete each Challenge.

 

The tools provided will show participants how to set goals, work with their doctor, eat healthy, fit physical activity into their schedules, and more! For example, one week the Challenge is to “Control Your Portions,” while other weeks are “Understand Your Condition” and “Reduce Your Stress.”  Participants will be guided step-by-step through the interactive Web site, which includes discussion forums to encourage them along the way. Participants can also receive support by signing up for weekly e-mail tips and text messages. The Web site will also provide the tools to complete the Challenge, ways to track their progress, resources, blogs, and more. The Challenge is also available for those without Internet access, by calling a toll-free number (1-866-997-ICAN) to register. Of those who call, only participants in York or Adams County will receive a printed copy of the tools and resources in the mail.

 

In addition, starting May 7, FOX43 News at Ten anchor Evan Forrester will feature the week’s Challenge every Thursday night. Along with information about these conditions, FOX43 will highlight five people from the community who are taking the I Can! Challenge in the public eye. These five challengers will be featured on the Challenge Web site, FOX 43 News at Ten, and in various articles. Their journeys will be shared through the media and online. Biographies and personal blogs will be available at www.ICanChallenge.com, so the public can follow along, witness what they are doing, and learn how they overcome their obstacles.

 

As a community-wide initiative, many area organizations, businesses and employers are also joining the Challenge. Many are hosting an I Can! Challenge team. Teams will be organized at workplaces, churches and neighborhoods. Area businesses will also be supporting the I Can! Challenge initiative by providing special incentives to I Can! Challenge participants. Organizations who want to get involved, should contact Megan Kurtz at Megan@TheSuasionWay.com or 717-432-2468.

 

The I Can! Challenge is an opportunity for residents of both counties to get involved in improving the quality of health care. People with heart disease and diabetes are strongly encouraged to step up to the Challenge and say, “I Can!”

 

To learn more about the I Can! Challenge or sign up, visit www.icanchallenge.com. If you do not have Internet access, please call toll-free 1-866-997-ICAN.

 

About Aligning Forces for Quality South Central Pennsylvania
The program, which began in February 2007, is aimed at eliminating the gap between the quality of care that patients with chronic conditions currently receive and the quality of care that patients should expect to receive.  Funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Aligning Forces for Quality initiative brings together patients, health care providers, businesses and the community to work toward common, fundamental objectives that will lead to better health care.

South Central Pennsylvania area community leaders, consumers, physicians, nurses, employers and insurers are all working together on this important initiative that will benefit thousands of area residents. 
www.aligning4healthpa.org

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