Eating Disorders & Health Matters in the News
August 2007
Avalon Centers Is A Proud Sponsor of the
P2 Collaborative of WNY Conference
Creating a Healthy Community:Imagine The Possibilities
October 1st & 2nd-Buffalo, New York
REGISTER TODAY TO RECEIVE DISCOUNT!!
GO TO: www.p2wny.org
P2 Conference to Stimulate Engagement, Innovation & Change
“Imagine the Possibilities” is the central theme of the first annual conference of the P2 Collaborative of WNY to be held at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center on October 1st and 2nd. The two-day conference will draw consumers, consumer advocates, physicians, employers, healthcare industry executives and organizations, as well as government representatives.
The conference, Creating a Healthy Community: Imagine the Possibilities will feature nationally recognized speakers with strong backgrounds in fostering innovation, creative thinking and facilitating community and organizational change. The goal of the conference is to initiate dialogue, collaboration and innovative action to achieve a healthy community.
The educational tracks will focus on issues relevant to consumers, employers and providers. There will be unique poster sessions highlighting successful community health programs, an exhibitor fair, book signings by the keynote speakers, an “Ask the Experts” networking session and an evening performance by actress and playwright, Sarah Jones, in addition to two full days of inspirational and instructional presenters.
The keynote speakers include:
Leanne Kaiser Carlson is a futurist who often works as a consultant to the healthcare industry helping to create a place of exploration and support for innovators building their future. Her work draws executives, physicians, and many others committed to personal and organizational development. Her presentation is titled, Imagine the Possibilities.
Sarah Jones is a Tony Award® winning playwright, actor, and poet. Jones has been commissioned by the WK Kellogg Foundation for a piece entitled A Right to Care, which tackles themes of inequality in health care.
John Sweeney is the owner of the Brave New Workshop, the nation’s oldest satirical comedy theater. He has served as an advisor to several Fortune 500 companies including Microsoft, Yahoo!, Target, General Mills, Hewlett Packard, US Bancorp, Toronto Blue Jays, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Medtronic. He presentation is titled, Innovation at the Speed of Laughter.
David Whyte is an organizational development expert who illustrates how we can foster qualities of courage and engagement; qualities needed if we are to respond to today’s call for increased creativity and adaptability in the workplace and our community. He is the author of The Heart Aroused: Poetry and the Preservation of the Soul in Corporate America, and Crossing the Unknown Sea: Work as a Pilgrimage of Identity. His presentation is titled, Courageous Conversations.
Discounts for early registration (prior to September 5th) are available at $175 per attendee. The conference plans to host attendees from the eight counties of western New York and beyond. Representatives from the region, assisting the P2 Collaborative of WNY, have been involved with the planning of this conference since last year.
The P2 Collaborative of WNY, Inc a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization established in 2002 is dedicated to improving the health of people in Western New York.
Under the direction of Shelley Hirshberg as executive director, P2 will achieve its mission to improve the health of people in WNY through engagement, support and collaboration of consumers, consumer advocates, employers and providers.
The organization is working to align the community around established quality indicators related to growing community health concerns, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, asthma, cancer and depression while engaging the community in the promotion of healthy lifestyles and open exchanges of best practices among healthcare providers.
In addition to the annual conference the P2 Collaborative of WNY, has received grants from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, New York State Department of Health and The John R. Oishei Foundation.
For conference registration, sponsorship, speaker and exhibitor information, please visit www.p2wny.org.
Contact:
Shelley B. Hirshberg
Executive Director
P2 Collaborative of Western New York
6225 Sheridan Drive, Suite 206
Williamsville, New York 14221
Phone: (716) 228-8459
Fax: (716) 631-2962
Email Address: shelley@p2wny.org
Web: www.p2wny.org
Avalon Centers Gets New Certification
Avalon Centers has been awarded a two-year certification from the New York State Office of Mental Health for its partial hospitalization program in Williamsville, New York. “This is a significant achievement for all of us at Avalon as this type of approval is increasingly rare in mental health. I’m extremely proud of the program we provide adolescents and adults and our staff are very dedicated professionals,” stated Jayne S. Haley, R.N., executive director at Avalon Centers.
Obesity Rates Continue to Climb
Obesity rates, already at epidemic levels, are continuing to climb across the United States. According to a story from the Associated Press posted on the ABC News web site, 31 states reported an increase in obesity while no state reported a decline. In western New York, more than 58% of the adult population is overweight or obese based on BMI (body mass index) standards for adult men and women.
Avalon Centers’ Outpatient Program offers counseling and nutritional guidance for children, adolescents and adults struggling with weight issues and related psychological matters. Program services are also available for people with special diets requirements, diabetes, hypertension, low salt diets and more. Counseling is provided for those suffering from anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorders as well. For more information, please call (716) 759-1561 or visit www.avalon-eatingdisorders.com.
Avalon Centers Signs on UNIVERA
Avalon Centers has added Univera to its list on insurance providers covering services at the partial hospitalization program. Univera is a nonprofit health plan serving more than 200,000 members across the eight counties of western New York with more than 5,700 providers on its panel. The agreement takes effect in October 2007. For more information, contact Avalon Centers at (716) 839-0999 or www.avalon-eatingdisorders.com.
Avalon Centers Welcomes United Behavioral Health
Avalon Centers is now a provider for all members covered by United Behavioral Health (UBH). The company was founded in 1979 and covers more than 43 million members nationwide. UBH has more than 80,000 clinicians and 3,500 care facilities on its panel. Avalon Centers is proud to care for the members of United Behavioral Health – . For more information, please contact Avalon Centers at (716) 839-0999 or www.avalon-eatingdisorders.com.
Avalon Centers Welcomes Corp Health
Avalon Centers is pleased to announce an agreement between Corp Health and Avalon. Corp Health is a national behavioral health managed care company based in Fort Worth, Texas. Corp Health will cover members for eating disorder services provided by Avalon’s partial hospitalization program.
Senator Mary Lou Rath Appears on Radio Program
Senator Mary Lou Rath, New York State Senate; Ann McCarthy, Wegmans; and Olivia Belter, Univera Healthcare appeared on Spotlight on Health to address statewide and local initiatives addressing childhood obesity. The weekly program airs on Regent Communication’s WECK-am 1230 every Saturday morning at 8:00 a.m. Hosted by Tom McNulty and produced by Bob Hill, the program addresses important health, medical, behavioral health and wellness issues. For more information about Senator Rath’s efforts, visit
www.senatorrath.com. We salute their tremendous efforts to address this serious problem!
