El Rio Travel Info +Blurbs

Jessica

I fly Frontier into Phoenix on Sunday afternoon, and will drive down to Tucson, flying out of Phoenix Wednesday eve.

I’m staying at the Doubletree Hilton Downtown (the hotel Shelley recommended), 6/2 – 6/5.

Sarah

Sarah Flight to Atlanta (DL 343)

Monday, June 3⋅8:00 – 9:57am then Tucson (DL 314)

Monday, June 3⋅11:09am – 2:56pm 

DL 314 Departs: Tucson Intl on 05-Jun-2024 01:06PM Arrives: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Intl on 05-Jun-2024 07:44PM Delta Air Lines, Inc. Flight: DL 561 

Departs: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Intl on 05-Jun-2024 09:00PM Arrives: Ronald Reagan Washington National Arpt on 05-Jun-2024 10:44PM

Double Tree

Naomi

Monday: 10am land in phoenix

Thursday: 8am depart from phoenix

Double Tree

Jonathan

Monday: 10am land in phoenix

Thursday??

Double Tree

Sonja

Monday, June 3, 2024

JAN Jackson 5:34 AM AA 5080 Operated by PSA Airlines as American Eagle → DFW Dallas/Fort Worth 7:18 AM

Seat: 12D

Class: Economy (Y)

DFW Dallas/Fort Worth 8:14 AM AA 2720 → TUS Tucson 8:34 AM

Seat: 19D

Class: Economy (Y)

Wednesday, June 5, 2024

TUS Tucson 3:43 PM AA 584 → DFW Dallas/Fort Worth 8:00 PM

Seat: 19D

Class: Economy (Y)

DFW Dallas/Fort Worth 9:23 PM AA 3663 Operated by Envoy Air as American Eagle → JAN Jackson 10:52 PM

Seat: 15D

Class: Economy (Y)

Hotel: Double Tree—Check in Mon. Jun 3 and out Wednesday, Jun 5

Kyskie

I'm awaiting American Airlines to let me know if they can accommodate me on another flight. Originally, I was supposed to be in on the 2-6th. But I need to leave on the 5th, so I'll have to let you know.

I'll be at the DoubleTree - Downtown Convention Center. Checking in on June 2nd. 

Maggie

Monday, June 3, 2024

Leave Miami 7:26 PM AA 2524

Tucson - 11:15 PM

Thursday, June 6, 2024

Tucson -1:30 PM AA 165

AA 1227 - MIA -Miami - 11:30 PM

Double Tree Hilton

Jessica

In 2015, Denver Health obtained small grants to pilot the a family healthy weight based off of the MEND program at a healthcare delivery site, previously only implemented in community settings, to address barriers such as language, transportation, cost, and trust. The CDC evaluation with Denver Health showed positive changes in BMI trajectory and blood pressure improvements for participants, demonstrating the program's effectiveness. This success proved the concept's real-world implementation, reach, scale, sustainability, and equity, leading to the opportunity to adapt and implement FHWPs in other FQHCs nationwide through the COMMIT program.  Denver Health’s current “Healthy World” collection of program currently includes multidisciplinary clinics to support patients across the lifespan for their healthy lifestyle goals, as well as an innovative early childhood group called “Tasting with Tots” , and more!

Jessica Wallace, PhD, MPH, MSHS, PA-C, serves as Director of Denver Health’s “Healthy World” initiative, which began in 2015 as a pilot of the MEND program in its first healthcare delivery site implementation. After demonstrating the program’s effectiveness through positive changes in BMI trajectory and blood pressure for participants, Jessica led the adoption, implementation, and adaptation of the program in other FQHCs through the COMMIT program. Denver Health’s “Healthy World” program has also grown into a collection of programs across multidisciplinary clinics to support patients across the lifespan for their healthy lifestyle goals, including an innovating early childhood group called “Tasting with Tots” and more!

El Rio

El Rio Community Health initiated the MEND 7-13 Program in 2018, their first evidence-based program for children and families. Since then, they have successfully completed multiple cohorts each year, transitioning from in-person to virtual and now hybrid sessions. Innovations include a regional Spanish curriculum rebranded as PowerFULL Familias, incorporating a diverse implementation team, and collaborating with the local YMCA for program sites and family membership incentives. El Rio Health remains committed to offering PowerFULL Familias as a valuable resource for families and Pediatric providers.

El Rio Community Health initiated the MEND Program in 2018 and has overseen multiple cohorts each year, beginning with in-person programming, adapting to virtual during the pandemic, and now to hybrid sessions. The diverse implementation team contributed to innovations such as a regional Spanish curriculum, rebranded as “PowerFULL Familias,” and collaboration with the YMCA to expand program sites and offer family membership incentives. El Rio Health plans to continue to implement this program and remains committed to offering guidance and resources to ensure healthy families.

Sonja

Sonja R. Fuqua, PhD, RN, Chief Clinical Services Officer for the Community Health Association of Mississippi has served as Program Coordinator for the Child Overweight/Obesity Management Models in Teams Setting (COMMIT) with MEND throughout the 5-year program. She was responsible for engagement, recruitment and oversight of six community health centers for implementation of the evidence-based program (Mind, Exercise, Nutrition, Do It [MEND]). Additionally, she facilitated staff training for both the didactic and exercise components of the program. The goal was to improve the health outcomes and risk behaviors of children aged 7-13 years, with obesity or overweight to facilitate the Quadruple Aim of better health, better outcomes, better costs, and better workforce. Aside from leading the MEND community health center collaborative meetings, Dr. Fuqua has focused on program innovation and establishing community partnerships. She has presented on the MEND program and establishing partnerships in various state and national conferences including the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC),

On a personal note, Dr. Fuqua has a passion for empowering others to make positive lifestyle changes for better health. She has maintained the loss of over 120 pounds and often uses her lived experience to inspire others.

Sonja R. Fuqua, PhD, RN, Chief Clinical Services Officer for the Community Health Association of Mississippi has served as Program Coordinator for the Child Overweight/Obesity Management Models in Teams Setting (COMMIT) with MEND (Mind, Exercise, Nutrition, Do It) throughout the 5-year program, recruiting and overseeing six community health centers for implementation of the evidence-based program. On a personal note, Dr. Fuqua has a passion for empowering others to make positive lifestyle changes for better health. She has maintained the loss of over 120 pounds and often uses her lived experience to inspire others.

Kyskie

"When I started participating in the COMMIT project 6 years ago, I could never have guessed what a profound change it would have on our health center, as well as, the community. The health center is so much more ingrained in the community and has forged more partnerships and alliances with more organizations than ever. With group classes, we were able to reach so many more families than we would have with one-on-one interventions.

I've gained so many skills from the training and learned to apply them in an entirely new format. COMMIT has fundamentally changed my approach to pediatric weight management and pediatric dietetics. It may sound sappy (and I've been watching too much TV for toddlers) but starting out, our program took on the COMMIT/MEND project like a hungry caterpillar. We dove headfirst into the program eating away and reacting to the changes daily. As we progressed and learned and grew the project into a butterfly. We have the knowledge and skills now to see ahead and above. We can move quickly and adapt and take the program wherever it's needed. We can create, develop, and spread the program to more people than we could have perceived.

From the connections I have made across the country with people doing the same work, to the knowledge gained and my ability to apply that knowledge for the betterment of my patients and my community, my experience with COMMIT program has been monumentally life-changing. Our interactions with each other have been an education in and of itself and the growth we have seen is one of the greatest highlights of my career. 

Kyskie Bolton, MS, RDN, LDN WIC Program Coordinator at G.A. Carmichael Family Health has led her team’s participation in the COMMIT project throughout the 5 year program, using the skills she learned to not only lead group classes for families but to forge partnerships and alliances with organizations united in the mission for healthier families. She said: “From the connections I have made across the country with people doing the same work, to the knowledge gained and my ability to apply that knowledge for the betterment of my patients and my community, my experience with COMMIT program has been monumentally life-changing.”

Maggie

Although I was not involved in the MEND program during the first year it started in Borinquen, year two quickly became a year of learning as soon as I became the program Director.  As we created goals for ourselves and figured out what worked and what didn’t work we were able to begin getting buy in from the pediatricians and the department staff.  In year 3 we were given the opportunity to completely adapt the MEND program to our needs and officially named our Borinquen program as Fit Family Club.  Through the guidance from NACHC and full support from our chief management as well as the input and relationships built during the COMMIT program we have been able to flourish and completely hard wire the program into our organization.  We look forward to what the future may hold!

Margarita Vroman, RN BSN, CIC, Director of Ancillary Nursing has served as Borinquen Medical Centers’ MEND Program Director since joining in Year 2 of the initiative. Through an iterative improvement process, she led the adaptation of the MEND program to their community’s needs, rebranding it as the “Fit Family Club.” She then worked tirelessly to obtain buy in from leadership, department staff, and providers which allowed the program to flourish and become completely hard wired into the organization.