MV Partnership for Health

Adult Education September 25, 2019

Martha’s Vineyard Partnership for Health is a free program of Island Health Care Community Health Center, offering practical knowledge and skills to put participants in control of improving their own health. Through education, interactive experience and action planning, past attendees have taken control of their chronic conditions, made lasting changes in healthy eating and physical activity, and improved feelings of confidence and well-being about their health in general.

Island Health Care Community Health Center (IHCCHC) has as its mission to make sure that all islanders and visitors, regardless of income or insurance status, have access to high-quality health care.

Martha’s Vineyard Partnership for Health (MVPH) is the extension of the primary care provided by the health center, open to all, to promote wellness in our community.

Classes are Free. Registration is required for all classes/courses.
Please call 508-939-9358 x114 to register or for more information.

My Life, My Health is a Chronic Disease Self-Management Class. My Life, My Health was developed at Stanford University Patient Education Research Center as a collaborative research project between Stanford and the Northern California Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program. The Class is 2 and 1/2 hours in length and will run once a week for six consecutive weeks. The class will educate participants on healthful behaviors that include exercise, cognitive symptom management, coping mechanisms and communications with physicians. In addition, participants will create action plans and discuss them with fellow participants.

Powerful Tools for Caregivers is an educational program designed to help family caregivers This program will help you take care of yourself while caring for a relative or friend. You will benefit from this class whether you are helping a parent, spouse, friend or someone who lives at home, in a nursing home, or all the way across the country. This 6-session series will give YOU, the family caregiver, tools to: Help you reduce stress; Communicate effectively with other family members, your doctor, and paid help; Take care of yourself; Reduce guilt, anger, and depression; Help you relax; Make tough decisions; Set goals and problem-solve.

Matter of Balance. Many older adults experience concerns about falling and restrict their activities. A MATTER OF BALANCE is an award-winning program designed to manage falls and increase activity levels. This 8-session series emphasizes practical strategies to manage falls. YOU WILL LEARN TO: view falls as controllable, set goals for increasing activity, make changes to reduce fall risks at home, exercise to increase strength and balance. WHO SHOULD ATTEND? Anyone concerned about falls, anyone interested in improving balance, flexibility and strength, anyone who has fallen in the past, anyone who has restricted activities because of falling concerns.

Diabetes Class. The Class is 2 hours in length and will run once a week for four consecutive weeks. Participants will be educated on a number of topics including the physiology of diabetes, effects of foods on blood sugar, blood sugar testing, hypo/hyper glycemia signs and symptoms and management, exercise, healthy sugar and carbohydrates choices, and setting and achieving goals. The Diabetes class topics will vary depending on participants’ knowledge and area of needs.

Healthy Cooking Class. Each class offers a cooking demonstration, sampling of the dish, and handouts with tips and recipes. Classes will focus on healthy cooking using simple techniques and fresh ingredients. The focus will follow the principle of a whole foods diet and use as few processed foods as possible. The class will learn how to create delicious and nutritious dishes that are affordable, heart healthy and diabetic friendly.

Walking Group. Walking Group will be held at the high school, indoors during winter and outdoors at the track later spring through fall. Participants will benefit from walking with others by socializing, encouraging and motivating one another with their health and fitness goals. The walking group is great for individuals who want to begin incorporating exercise into their lives or who need extra support from others who also suffer from chronic diseases.

Stress Management. Learn practical and proven methods for managing and reducing stress. Everyone experiences adversity and stress at some level, whether it’s due to chronic illness, pressure at work, relationship problems, financial difficulties, or too many tasks to do every day. Stress isn’t necessarily bad, but chronic stress can take its toll on our minds, bodies, and behavior. We will teach participants about specific resilience skills and positive routines in order to better manage stress, bounce back quicker after setbacks, be more effective at work and in relationships with others, and to improve physical and mental health.

Diabetic Foot Care. The foot care class teaches diabetic patients to become self-checkers. The instructor is our staff Nurse Practitioner who is a certified foot care nurse. The class covers daily foot inspections; signs of circulatory or nerve impairment; deformities; care of calluses, blisters and injury; nail care; footwear resources; yearly foot exam; and Medicare guidelines for diabetic foot care and footwear.

Health Coaching. Our Health Coaches work one on one with individuals through a process which facilitates healthy, sustainable behavior change by identifying their values and goals and transforming them into actions. A health coach will ultimately work with an individual to create a long term game plan that is realistic and executed on a daily basis. Typically, they will meet for approximately 45-60 minutes once a week, which may decrease to every other week depending on the individual’s progress. These sessions generally take place in an office, but may also visit the grocery store, the park, go for a walk or even clean out their fridge/pantry. Health coaches build a dynamic relationship with their client that cultivates support, motivation and accountability. A Health Coach is a motivational guide that advocates for optimal wellness, while activating one’s authentic self.

Group Health Coaching. Group coaching classes are lead by a certified Health Coach. The Health Coach will discuss a number of current topics in nutrition, health and wellness that will help you manage your chronic disease/condition, while enhancing your overall health and wellness. In addition, you will learn how to set goals, make action plans and create long-lasting lifestyle changes. Participants will be provided with a number of resources and handouts specific to topics discussed including articles, recipes, and info-graphs.

Home Nursing Visits. The project staff nurse is trained in the Chronic Disease Model for addressing chronic disease through community support and self-management. She is also the diabetes and foot care educator. Home nursing is available to registered program participants who can benefit from meeting one-on-one for clinical health education.

Spring Wellness Retreat. An educational wellness event that promotes healthy living and managing chronic illness. Refreshments and lunch will be provided along with program information and helpful resources. Topics include: Diabetes Management and Prevention, Stress-Management, Healthy Cooking Demo, Concepts of Self-Care, Yoga-Therapy, Health-Coaching ..What is it? Is it right for you?

Contact Information

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