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lume 1 Novembe

reetings!

elcome to the first edition of Delta Health Alliance's E-newsletter. DHA is excited about the

pportunity to provide health information in this format. Each month, the DHA E-newsletter will

cus on current health information, projects and success stories of DHA projects, and issuesrtinent to Delta residents. Thank you for taking in interest in DHA. Happy reading.  

ncerely, ren C. Fox, PhD esident & CEO 

IN THIS ISSUE  EHR & TelemedicinSummit 

American DiabetesMonth 

Celebration  

IPC Tours DC 

 

HR & Telemedicine Summit  elta Health Alliance hosted a Telemedicine & EHR (Electronic Health Records) Summit at the

arles W. Capps, Jr. Entrepreneurial Center in Stoneville, Mississippi on November 3rd. The

e-day summit for healthcare professionals focused on the latest research and technology

vances in Telemedicine and EHR and served as the introduction of DHA's Beacon project

unded through a grant from the Beacon Community Cooperative Agreement Program from the

ffice of the National Coordinator (ONC) for Health Information Technology, Department of 

ealth and Human Services) by Aaron McKethan, PhD, Program Director. The Beacon Program

ll program will allow better coordination of care for Mississippi Delta residents, particularly

tients battling diabetes, through electronic health record adoption and health information

change. Nationally noted speaker, Dr. David Goodman, MD, MS, of The

Dartmouth Institute of Health Policy shared findings from twenty-year research project on

primary care shortages in the U.S. with results indicating that public reporting of health care

ensure accountability to patients and to payers (public and private).  

Dr. Alex Nason, Director of Tele-health, Program Director, John Hopkins Medicine Interactive

Learning, shared general trends that may affect the future of tele-health standards and

guidelines. Nason also highlighted the opportunities and future trends for the digitalization o

health information, especially telemedicine and remote patient monitoring. 

 

Aaron McKethan, PhD, Director, Janhavi Kirtane, Sr. Project Officer

the Beacon Project - ONC.

 

avid Goodman, MD, MS. Professor ofPediatrics and of Health Policy at theartmouth Institute of Health Policy andClinical Practice Director, Center for

Health Policy Research

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uring the summit, outcomes from DHA's BLUES (Better Living Utilizing Electronic Systems)

oject, a comparison study of diabetes patient care from EHR clinics to non-EHR clinics, were

ported by Karen C. Fox, PhD, President & CEO of Delta Health Alliance; Lisa Morton,

sistant Professor at University of Mississippi Medical Center; and Anthony LoSasso,

ofessor and Senior Research Scientist Health Policy and Administration Division at the

hool of Public Health and the Institute of Government and Public Affairs, University of 

nois at Chicago. 

culmination of the day's information, Dr. Fox moderated an interactive discussion with

ate healthcare professionals - Craig P. Orgeron, PhD, Director Strategic Services Division,

epartment of Information Technology Services; John F. Lucas, III, MD, Chief Medicalformation Officer, Greenwood Leflore Hospital; Doug Campbell, MD, Professor at University

edical Center, Principal Investigator, eICU; and Jeanie Berg, Project Coordinator, Mississippi

egional Extension Center.  nelist shared their experiences with telemedicine addressed audience

estions regarding state health information technology initiatives (electronic

alth records, health information exchange, and telemedicine).  

 

David Goodman, MD, MS. ProfessoPediatrics and of Health Policy at t

Dartmouth Institute of Health Policy Clinical Practice Director, Center for H

Policy Research

 

Craig Orgeron, John F. Lucas III, MD, Doug Campbell, MDJeanie Berg - panelists participating in interactive telemed

forum

merican Diabetes Month ovember is designated as Diabetic Eye Disease Month.Diabetic Eye Disease, caused by diabetes, is the leading cause of blind

d vision loss.The National Eye Institute reports about 50% of the 16 million Americans with diabetes have at least early signs

abetic retinopathy, damage to the blood vessels in the retina.Approximately 700,000 of those have serious retinalsease.Unfortunately, around 25,000 people go blind from diabetic retinopathy. 

elta Health Alliance is the lead agency for the TEAM (Training, Education, Access, and Management) Sugar-Free, a coordinate

d comprehensive diabetes project, which takes a targeted approach to addressing key shortages in the delivery of 

mprehensive diabetes screening, prevention, and education in the MS Delta. TEAM Sugar Free is working in collaboration w

e University of Mississippi Medical Center's (UMMC), Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH), the University of 

nnessee Hamilton Eye Institute, and the Delta State University Delta Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) to systematically

dress unmet health care needs and to reduce prevalent health disparities in our region.One aspect of TEAM Sugar Free is to

stall and develop interfaces for eye cameras for diabetic retinopathy eye screening through University of Tennessee Hamilto

stitute. The pilot clinics for the project are Clarksdale's Aaron Henry Clinic, Greenville Clinic, Kosciusko Medical Center, India

mily Medical Group, and additional locations to be determined. TEAM Sugar Free is funded through a Delta States Rural

evelopment Network Grant Program from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Rural Health Policy.  

learn more about DHA's TEAM Sugar Free, go to www.deltahealthalliance.org .To find more information concerning eye hea

to the Prevent Blindness America website. 

elebration 

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The Indianola Promise Community (IPC) celebrated its one year anniver

on October 21, 2010 at the B.B. King Museum in Indianola. The gala wa

opportunity to thank the city and community leaders, faith-based

organizations, and supporters for their commitment of seeing the India

Promise Community transition from a concept, modeled after the Harle

Children's Zone, to a viable program that will enable citizens of Indiano

realize their promise of a healthy, productive life in this Delta commun

 

ithin its first year, IPC has made a mark on Indianola by way of construction of a KaBOOM! ® playground

the South Gate community with the help of over 350 local volunteers and by serving over 600 campers

thirty-five different camps during the summer of 2010. IPC was recently awarded a $332,630 planning

ant from the U.S. Department of Education to be used to build on the planning and operation of the

omise Community that DHA currently sponsors in Indianola. The goal of a promise community is to

perate a cradle-to-career suite of services to improve educational achievement and to ensure that the

highest attainable standard of health is reached by all children in

this targeted community.  

Featured speakers during the evening were Dr. Cass Pennington,

President of Delta Council; Thomas Edwards, Vice President of 

Community Development Delta Health Alliance; Tom Gresham,

Steering Committee of IPC; Tanya Robinson, Board Member of the South Gate NeighborAssociation; and Elijah Johnson, Project Director of IPC.  

Guest received a special treat during the evening - three groups from the IPC summer ca

shared their achievements and skills learned through the

ograms. Mary Scales, Keplere Institute - A College Readiness and Workforce Development

ogram, and students demonstrated skills learned in a CNA (Certified Nurses Assistant) program.  

ext, the Art of Living campers performed a dramatic presentation and Ann Shakelford, Interim

rector of the B.B. King Museum gave an overview of the camp. The third group of campers, who

rticipated in the Character Development Summer Mentoring Camp through Delta Missions

inistries, finished out the performances while Rev. Herron Wilson provided an overview of themp successes. Musical entertainment for the evening was provided by Althonso Sanders of 

eveland. 

PC Tours DC  e Delta Health Alliance (DHA) Promise Neighborhood staff attended the first Promise Neighborhoods grantee meeting in

ashington, DC, November 8-10, 2010, as one of twenty-one grantees selected nationally to receive the Promise Neighborho

anning Grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Education. The DHA is one of only two rural communities selected nationa

r the highly competitive grant program. The twenty-one grantees represented just 6% of the 339 applicant pool. Staff attend

wo days of presentations, a reception, and a visit to Capitol Hill as a part of the Promise Neighborhood training.  

ay One of the training was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Innovation and Improvement and was

signed to inform grantees of program requirements and networking among program planners and grantees. Day Two was

osted by the Promise Neighborhoods Institute at Policy Link, a national technical assistance provider, and was designed to pr

antees with information on the various technical assistance and support grantees will receive throughout the planning year

sist each community in developing its Promise Neighborhood comprehensive plan. 

ay Three involved a trip to Capitol Hill to attend a congressional briefing designed to share the importance of the Promise

eighborhoods Program with various congressional representatives. The briefing event was co-sponsored by Senator Thad

ochran. DHA staffers Thomas Edwards, Vice President of Community Development; Eligah Johnson, Director of Indianola Pro

ommunity; and Indianola Mayor Steve Rosenthal attended the briefing and presented information on our Promise Neighborh

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ant, the DHA, and the city of Indianola. 

e DHA video was also played for the group and was warmly received by the congressional staffers and others in attendance

attendance for the meeting were Kenneth Wheatley, DHA; Russell Carr, Program Evaluator; and John Williams, Planning Gra

oject Director. 

heck Out Our New Website elta Health Alliance has a new website, user-friendly and full of tips to lead a healthier life. Users will find information about

alth issues facing the Delta, including ways to take charge of obesity - the Mississippi Delta is the most obese area in the U.S

nd DHA projects and other information by county for all eighteen counties of the Delta.   

   

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