Team Up 4 Health
Overview of Team Up 4 Health
“Team Up 4 Health” is the name of the first U.S. based Microclinic Program launched in Kentucky during the fall of 2011. Initially sponsored by Humana to help turn the tide against diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease in Appalachia, Kentucky, the pilot program harnessed the power of social networks and positive peer influence, helping people to adopt healthier behaviors while living longer, more active lives.
An Evidence-Based Approach
In Bell County, KY, participants of the “Team Up 4 Health” pilot program participated in an award-winning scientific study led by MCI and researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health to evaluate the success of the Microclinic Program. The study found that 95% of participants improved in at least one of five health measures: body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, blood pressure, cholesterol, and/or HbA1c measurements of blood glucose.
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- Participants Lost Weight: Obese participants lost 10.2 pounds on average.
- Participants Increased their Physical Activity: 82 percent of participants reported increasing their physical activity.
- Participants made Positive Changes to their Eating Habits: By the end of the program, 49 percent of participants reported eating healthier
Not only have program participants seen results, they’ve sustained their healthy behavior changes over time.
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- Weight Loss was Maintained: Obese participants who lost weight kept off 81 percent of all weight loss improvements six months after program completion.
- Blood Pressure Continued to Improve: At the six-month follow-up, hypertensive program participants’ systolic blood pressure was 10 mmHg lower than that of comparable controls. Participants not only kept off 100 percent of all blood pressure improvements, but benefits accelerated over the long-term and further improved by 56 percent.
- Physical Activity Continued: 74 percent of participants who reported increasing their physical activity reported maintaining their behavior six months later.
- Healthy Eating Habits were Sustained: Six months after the program’s completion, 72 percent of participants reported maintaining overall healthier eating habits.
Results of this Randomized Controlled Trial were published in several peer-reviewed journals and can be accessed here.
Expansion
With further funding support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and WellCare, the Microclinic Program’s success was catapulted as a number of individuals from the KY Department of Public Health, community volunteers, and other community-based organization staff were trained in more than 12 counties in East Kentucky. By the end of 2015, the program experienced a statewide expansion when residents in more than 56 counties in Kentucky gained access to Certified Microclinic Program Facilitators. These facilitators have successfully offered this chronic disease prevention and management program in a variety of locations across the state:
- Health Departments
- Senior Centers
- School Centers
- YMCA
- Community Centers
- Churches
- Federal Prisons
- Hospitals
- Health Care Centers/Clinics
Growth and Progression in Kentucky: Counties with Certified Microclinic Program Facilitators
Color: Year Facilitators Were Trained
Light Grey: 2011
Dark Blue: 2012 – 2014
Bright Blue: 2015
Sustainability
With little or no cost to implementing organizations, the Microclinic Program continues to grow across the state, spreading the Contagious Health Model to those who need it most. MCI continues to seek partnerships with organizations interested in curbing the chronic disease epidemic sweeping the KY and surrounding states. For more information about the Microclinic Program, please contact:
[email protected] or [email protected]
