In presentations here today, DMAA: The Care Continuum Alliance recognized achievements in chronic disease prevention and care with Population Health Improvement Leadership Awards to corporate, government and individual leaders.

At The Forum 08, its 10th annual meeting, DMAA presented Leadership Awards to:

* Alaska Federal Health Care Partnership, for Outstanding Government Program - The Alaska Home Telehealth Monitoring program overcomes the state's daunting challenges to care delivery for rural residents by using home monitors to transmit key vital signs, such as blood pressure readings and glucose levels, to providers for the residents' care.

"Providing Alaska's 285,000 federal beneficiaries timely access to high quality, cost effective health care as close to home as possible in America's harshest climate is an enormous challenge," said Samuel C. Johnson III, executive director, Alaska Federal Health Care Partnership. "DMAA's recognition of the Home Telehealth Monitoring program and our Federal Partnership Coalition is a tremendous honor."

"The Alaska Federal Health Care Partnership's Home Telehealth monitoring program is revolutionizing health care delivery in Alaska by increasing the frequency of monitoring patients with chronic disease, increasing patient self-management and health care intervention," said Alex Spector, Alaska Veterans Affairs director and AFHCP Executive Board chairman.

* Margaret O'Kane, President, National Committee for Quality Assurance, for Outstanding Individual - Margaret O'Kane, who founded NCQA in 1990, has been a tireless advocate for quality improvement. Under her leadership, the organization has stressed measurement, reporting, accountability and the need to elevate health care quality to the top of the national agenda. O'Kane was named Person of the Year in 1996 by Medicine & Health and received the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention DC Champion of Prevention Award in 2000.

"It's a tremendous honor to receive this award," O'Kane said. "Not long ago, widespread measurement of health care quality was thought to be impossible or impractical. Today, performance is routinely assessed at all levels of the health system - from the largest national plan to solo primary care practitioners. It's a success story that owes itself to the collective dedication and willpower of a broad group of stakeholders, some of whom are also receiving Leadership Awards today. I'm proud to be in their company."

* James Weinstein, DO, for Outstanding Physician in Practice - Dr. Weinstein, Chair and Professor of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Dartmouth-Hitchcock medical center, is widely known for his expertise in low back and the diagnosis and treatment of spine cancers. His devotion to his patients, as well as to his myriad other endeavors, reflects his passion for the advancement of medical care at the patient level and system level.

"In all my roles - physician, clinical researcher, director of the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery - my work is most critically informed by my experience as a practicing spine surgeon and my interaction with patients and the profession of medicine," Dr. Weinstein said. "Thus, it is particularly meaningful and a great honor to receive this award from my peers."

* LifeMasters Supported SelfCare Inc., for Outstanding Leadership in Emerging Health Needs - LifeMasters used an innovative approach to introduce advanced care planning, an often overlooked aspect of chronic disease care, in a disease management program, and realized a 71 percent rate for completed and in-process advance directives.

"We're so pleased to receive this award from the DMAA and in so doing bring attention to this critical aspect of our work," said Christobel Selecky, CEO of LifeMasters. "Research shows that individuals with serious conditions frequently do not prepare advance care directives until later in their illness or not at all. Our goal is to provide our participants with support they need to make these important decisions before a health crisis occurs."

"Our award winners exemplify the best qualities of successful population health improvement programs," DMAA President and CEO Tracey Moorhead said. "Their work demonstrates clearly how population-based strategies bring value to the prevention and management of chronic conditions."

DMAA earlier this year solicited award nominations in a rigorous process that evaluated nominations against seven core criteria focusing on commitment, program design, implementation, innovation, outcomes-based orientation, scope and potential impact, and vision and leadership. Each award winner also met category-specific criteria.

Since its creation in 1999, DMAA's Leadership Awards Program has honored organizations and individuals in population health improvement annually. Although the awards have evolved over the years, their core purpose remains the same: to recognize outstanding achievements in and contributions to the science and practice of chronic disease care.

About DMAA: The Care Continuum Alliance

DMAA: The Care Continuum Alliance convenes all stakeholders providing services along the care continuum toward the goal of population health improvement. These care continuum services include strategies, such as health and wellness promotion, disease management, and care coordination. DMAA: The Care Continuum Alliance promotes the role of population health improvement in raising the quality of care, improving health outcomes and reducing preventable health care costs for individuals with chronic conditions and those at risk of developing chronic conditions. DMAA activities in support of these efforts include advocacy, research and the promotion of best practices in care management.

DMAA: The Care Continuum Alliance represents more than 200 corporate and individual stakeholders - including wellness, disease and care management organizations, pharmaceutical manufacturers and benefits managers, health information technology innovators, biotechnology innovators, employers, physicians, nurses and other health care professionals, and researchers and academicians.

DMAA: The Care Continuum Alliance