November 5, 2012
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and Cleveland Clinic are educating Ohioans to become more proactive in their healthcare decisions and overall wellness goals. The two institutions are collaborating throughout the month of November on various programs surrounding nutrition; exercise and physical activity; stress reduction, mindfulness and spiritual growth; social connectedness; health maintenance; and family health and medical history.
Ohio Gov. John R. Kasich has issued a proclamation making November “Personal Healthcare Month” in Ohio. As a result, two of the most innovative research and medical giants and international leaders in personalized health care are leading a campaign to engage and empower Ohioans to take charge of their individual health and wellness.
Programming will highlight the importance of seeking and understanding individual genetic and non-genetic risks which enable informed healthcare decisions surrounding disease prevention and management. Ohioans will be encouraged to take advantage of time with relatives during Thanksgiving to ask about family health and medical history. Knowledge of individual family medical history impacts the safety and effectiveness of prescribed medications, and affects behavioral and environmental risk and also can help determine the risk for multiple different diseases.
“We are excited to partner with the Cleveland Clinic and Governor Kasich to celebrate personal healthcare month and focus on the health and well-being of our families, friends and communities. Given the Thanksgiving holiday, it is important to recognize the central importance of family, fun, food and gratitude for our health and longevity,” says Dr. Clay Marsh, executive director of The Center for Personalized Health Care (CPHC) at Ohio State’s Wexner Medical Center.
Community members are encouraging others to take Ohio State’s P4 Pledge, an online tool where participants can commit to reaching their optimal wellness through reducing stress, better nutrition, increased activity/exercise and smoking cessation. To learn more about how Wexner Medical Center is living P4 Medicine, go to: medicalcenter.osu.edu.
Ohio State’s Center for Personalized Health Care is earning international distinction through its leadership in a novel approach to personalized health care known as P4 Medicine – predictive, preventive, personalized and participatory medicine. Advocates for the creation and implementation of a scalable system of health care to reduce costs, improve outcomes and serve as an economic driver for Ohio. The result is a tailored approach to wellness, disease prevention and, when required, health care.
The Center facilitates research, education, prevention and treatments designed to meet patients’ individual needs. Its missions are to create a pipeline for innovation and accelerate the application and dissemination of discovery to realize the promise of personalized health care/P4 Medicine, and to advocate for this approach locally, nationally and internationally.
Click here for more information about Ohio State’s Center for Personalized Health Care, or go to: http://cphc.osu.edu.
Contacts:
Gina Bericchia, Wexner Medical Center Public Affairs & Media Relations, 614-293-3737, or Gina.Bericchia@osumc.edu