Press Releases

CMS Presents Solutions for Reducing Patient Obesity at National Industry Conference

Clinical Managers Lead Educational Workshop during American Correctional Association Meeting

St. Louis - January 21, 2009

Melanie Wahl, Director of Medical Resource Services, and Holly Mathis, RN/Nurse Practitioner and Care Manager, at the ACA convention.

CMS clinical managers led a highly informative workshop on the importance of reducing obesity in the correctional population during the American Correctional Association (ACA) Winter Conference January 4-11 in Kissimmee, Florida.  

Melanie Wahl, Director, Medical Resource Services and Holly Mathis, RN/Nurse Practitioner and Care Manager, reviewed the healthcare challenges presented by an increasingly obese correctional population and discussed unique methodologies for promoting healthier lifestyles and patient outcomes. The presentation highlighted approaches such as a collaborative healthcare model and how each discipline – medical, nursing, patient and client – can participate in the healthcare solution.

“It is no longer appropriate to adopt an authoritarian approach to healthcare,” said Mathis. “We see that even patients in correctional facilities do better when they are an active part of their own healthcare. With the collaborative approach, patients, healthcare providers and corrections agencies work as partners to achieve mutually determined healthcare goals.”

An “Exercise Where You Are” segment of the talk was also well-received and featured simple measures patients can take on their own to increase mobility and fitness. Demonstrations were presented on stretching and in-place movements.

“These patients are in a situation where they have limited liberties, including the ability to exercise, reduced access to mental stimulation, and an institutionalized menu,” said Mathis. “That’s why it’s so important to realize that anybody can improve their health through simple measures. Exercising, stretching, and raising the heart rate ‘where you are’ can improve attitude, increase heart rate, and improve physical well-being. This results in a Win-Win approach!”

CMS’ Clinical Service and Medical Affairs departments have developed a variety of innovative programs to achieve improved patient health states in the correctional environment. Recent initiatives targeting diabetes and cardiac care have proven significantly effective, illustrating the importance of well-designed, comprehensive healthcare solutions.

“We are placing emphasis on patient education in an effort to alter the progression of chronic diseases,” said Wahl. “The focus is a wellness approach and shifting accountability to patients as much as we can. We want patients to understand what lifestyle alterations they can initiate to stay healthy and prevent or reduce diseases from occurring in the future.”

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About Correctional Medical Services, Inc (CMS)

Correctional Medical Services, Inc (CMS) is a nationwide leader in the provision of correctional healthcare services, offering a comprehensive suite of medical, dental, pharmacy and mental health services for the incarcerated population. CMS currently maintains a presence in 18 states and manages medical services for 10 statewide systems. More than 6,000 employees and independent contractors work with CMS nationwide. For more information, visit the CMS Web site at www.cmsstl.com.