District grants $129,000 to Arthritis Foundation
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Tim O'Bayley, O'Bayley Communications, 760/778-3525 tim@obayley.net or
Donna Craig, Chief Program Officer, Desert Healthcare District, 760/323-6700
PALM SPRINGS, CA – DECEMBER 9, 2009: Desert Healthcare District has approved a grant of $129,000 for three Life Improvement Series programs for the Arthritis Foundation: a Self-Help Program, a series of “Train the Trainer” courses, and 12 exercise programs. Together, these three programs will improve the health and lives of between 240 and 300 local District residents living with arthritis.
“There are about 46 million adults and 300,000 children in the United States with some form of arthritis – almost 1 in 5 people,” said Glen Grayman, MD, Board President for Desert Healthcare District. “We expect to see that number rise as the baby boomer generation ages. Arthritis is the most common cause of disability in America. Therefore, through these programs offered by the Arthritis Foundation, we can help improve the health of many District residents.”
The new grant funding will enable the Foundation to offer its signature six-week Self-Help Program, which was developed at Stanford University to improve arthritis through self-management. Twelve of the courses will be offered in 2009/2010, and will instruct between 20-25 people each about how to manage their arthritis through nutrition, exercise, pain/stress management, goal setting, medication, and more.
The courses will be taught by nationally-certified Self-Help instructors and overseen by the Coachella Valley Branch Senior Program Director Shanna Hirschi. The local Palm Desert, Coachella Valley Branch, currently offers more than 180 classes each week to Valley residents.
The new grant will also be used to implement four “Train the Trainer” courses to enable the expansion of the Life Improvement Series programs. Due to new revisions and updates to the programs, all Arthritis Foundation trainers/instructors in the Coachella Valley require retraining. The District grant will bring all local instructors and trainers up-to-date in their certifications.
Additionally, the grant will help fund four aquatic exercise programs, four land-based exercise programs, and four Tai Chi Programs. These programs are complementary to the Self-Help program and provide an overall path to better health for those living with arthritis.
The Arthritis Foundation is the only national not-for-profit organization that supports the more than 120 types of arthritis and related conditions. Founded in 1948, here in the Coachella Valley, with the National office now located in Atlanta, the Arthritis Foundation is the largest private, not-for-profit contributor to arthritis research in the world, funding more than $380 million in research grants since 1948. The Foundation helps people take control of arthritis by providing public health education; pursuing public policy and legislation; and conducting evidence-based programs to improve the quality of life for those living with arthritis.
Desert Healthcare District is a government agency, established by the state of California in 1948, to improve and support community health programs within a 457-square mile service area in the Coachella Valley. The District also owns and oversees the lease of Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs.
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