Researchers have long demonstrated that medical care providers can play a positive role in getting patients to initiate or maintain health behavior changes such as quitting smoking, losing weight, getting regular exercise or reducing the use of alcohol. The key to such approaches, however, is how the conversation between the provider and the patient is conducted. A conference to teach these techniques as well as health literacy and local referral resources was offered to care providers on March 19, 2008 at Bristol Community College. Sponsored by Southcoast Hospitals Group, St. Anne's Hospital, the Harvard-Pilgrim Healthcare Foundation and Healthy City Fall River, the conference was attended by a cross-section of providers from local clinics, hospitals and agencies. The conference was organized in response to the report of Massachusetts Deaths 2005 in which Fall River’s premature death rate was one of the highest in the Commonwealth due to its high rate of heart disease and diabetes, diseases often related to lifestyle issues such as smoking, overweight, sedentary lifestyles, and poor nutrition. Click here for the video. For more information about the conference, contact Healthy City Fall River coordinator David Weed, Psy.D., at 508-324-2411.
 

(Top row, left) Edward Bernstein, M.D., instructs the audience in the Screening, Brief Intervention to Referral and Treatment (SBIRT) strategy for getting patients to initiate or maintain health behavior changes such as quitting smoking, losing weight, getting regular exercise or reducing the use of alcohol. (Top row, center) St. Anne's Hospital Project Assert clinician Dan Mahoney role-plays a patient seeking assistance with weight loss as Dr. Bernstein uses motivational approaches to guide his responses. (Top row, right) Mary Philbin of UMass Medical School in Worcester illustrates the difference between effective and ineffective health promotion literature. (Middle row, left) WIC Senior Nutritionist Carol Weber asks about the use of motivational methods with parents in reducing overeating among their children. (Middle row, right) Henry Vaillancourt, M.D. of Southcoast Hospitals walks participants through the health behavior guide on the Healthy City website. Bottom row, left) Jenna Daum and Debbie Palumbo of the Bristol Community College counseling service listen as Andrew Putney, M.D. of the SSTAR Family Healthcare Center makes a point. (Bottom row, center) Chistina Economos, Ph.D., Principle Investigator for the "Shape Up Somerville, Eat Smart, Play Hard" program describes how her program helped to change the health behaviors of children and families through community-wide interventions. (Bottom row, right) Lauren Smith, M.D., Medical Director for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health talks about the disparities in health behaviors among people from low-income and minority communities.