HJLR Mar/Apr 2019

60 MAR / APR 2019 I  Healthcare Journal of LITTLE ROCK BeWell Arkansas, housed within theADH Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program, aims to reduce the burden of tobacco use among Arkansans. The five wellness and cessation specialists with Be Well Arkansas are trained as Tobacco Treatment Special- ists (TTS). To be a TTS, a person must com- plete training through one of 18 accredited TTS training sites that follow a standardized national lesson plan that includes the physi- cal, social, and economic impacts of tobacco use, along with pharmacotherapy and moti- vational interviewing. This certification en- sures that Arkansans are receiving current, evidence-based treatment for their tobacco and nicotine dependence. Arkansans can call 833-283-WELL for counseling. Those who call the national number, 1-800-QUIT-NOW, are routed directly to the Be Well Arkansas call center. Callers who prefer in-person to- bacco cessation counseling will be referred to TTS trained nurses at select local health units across the state. Those who have access to cessation services through their health insurance provider, the VeteransAdministra- tion, or their employee assistance program will be referred to the services for which they are eligible. All insurance providers will re- imburse healthcare providers for providing tobacco cessation services if U.S. Department of Health and Human Services guidelines for treating tobacco use and dependence are fol- lowed. Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) is only provided to clients who sign up for counselling with Be Well Arkansas and do not have health insurance or only have Medicare. Those with Medicaid are given prescriptions for NRT. A similar process is followed for those who call to receive other services, such as counseling for diabetes. Callers will be referred first to programs of- fered by their own insurance providers and their work employee assistance programs. Be Well Arkansas’s services also include counseling for managing diabetes and high blood pressure. More than one out of every nine adults in Arkansas is diagnosed with diabetes. One in three adults in the United States has high blood pressure, and another 59 million adults have pre-hypertension, ac- cording to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Be Well Arkansas’s diabe- tes and hypertension resources include an online risk test for prediabetes, referrals to services that ADH and partners provide across the state, such as the Diabetes Pre- vention Programs (DPP) or Diabetes Self- Management Education Program (DSME), hypertension management, andMedication TherapyManagement (MTM). DPP facilitates small groups to discuss behavior changes that can improve participants’health by pre- venting new onset diabetes. DSME helps cre- ate new, healthier lifestyles that will keep diabetes under control. Hypertension care managers can be seen at certain local health units across the state, and they work with healthcare providers to help manage clients’ high blood pressure by assisting with medi- cines, checking blood pressure, and encour- aging lifestyle changes. MTM is a program offered by many pharmacies to help make sure medication is working properly, and to help identify any potential problems such as medication-related side effects, duplicate medications, and any interactions with other medications. Clients may also receive refer- rals to meet in-person with lifestyle coaches for hypertension care or diabetes manage- ment. Lifestyle coaches are in every region of the state and are trained to help set and meet goals to live a healthier life. The lifestyle coaches are available as a resource regard- less of whether insured or not. A list of the available programs can be found on the Be Well Arkansas website. BeWell Arkansas also provides links to tips and resources for prevention and healthy liv- ing to help reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure, or to help manage these conditions and com- plications. Healthy Active Arkansas (HAA), which is a 10-year framework to increase the number of Arkansans at a healthy weight, helps to support prevention and healthy liv- ing efforts in the state. HAArepresents a wide variety of organizations in the public and pri- vate sector with a shared vision for working with individuals, families, schools, communi- ties, worksites, organizations, and local and state governments to create a culture that encourages healthy eating and physical activ- ity for all Arkansans. For more information on HAA visit www.healthyactive.org . It is never too late to work toward improv- ing health and lifestyle. Healthcare providers are encouraged to use Be Well Arkansas as a tool to help patients. Patients can receive help or learn more by calling 833-283-WELL or www.bewellarkansas.org. n “Arkansans can call 833-283-WELL for counseling. Those who call the national number, 1-800-QUIT-NOW, are routed directly to the Be Well Arkansas call center. Callers who prefer in-person tobacco cessation counseling will be referred to TTS trained nurses at select local health units across the state.“ Director’s Desk