2009 Childhood Obesity Conference:  Pre-Conference Meeting "Pediatric Obesity: Provider Skill Sets for Improved Care" Tuesday June 9, 2009: 4:00 – 8:00 p.m. Westin Bonaventure Hotel, Los Angeles, California

Click here to view the 2009 Childhood Obesity Conference flyer.

Overview
Learn more and train others. This interactive meeting is designed as a workshop for Medi-Cal providers, Child Health and Disability Prevention (CHDP) providers, and training staff who want to gain additional skills in the identification, prevention, and management of pediatric obesity. Training staff can include nursing staff, health educators, registered dietitians, nutrition consultants, and quality improvement staff. Attendees will also receive an overview of the new National Committee for Quality Assurance's Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) measures for pediatric obesity from a national expert.

This is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for Medi-Cal/CHDP providers and training staff to receive ready-to-use training tools and office-centered techniques on the assessment and counseling of pediatric overweight and obesity; and information on how to access customized provider and patient education resources on nutrition, physical activity, and obesity. Training materials provided for this session will include the California Medical Association Foundation's Child and Adolescent Obesity Provider Toolkit, CHDP pediatric obesity provider training modules/materials, Women Infants and Children (WIC) Program’s Healthy Habits for Life and Healthy Habits for Birth resources, along with Medi-Cal provider multi-lingual patient education materials. All materials are free and tailored for low-income populations.

Meeting Objectives
Participants will:

1. Understand that major California Medi-Cal managed care health plans and Department of Health Care Service’s programs, such as the Child Health and Disability Prevention Program, support childhood obesity assessment, and intervention for low-income families.
2. Become familiar with and learn how to use the California Medical Association Foundation’s Child and Adolescent Obesity Provider Toolkit.
3. Identify the 3 key components for addressing childhood obesity in a primary care practice: accurate body mass index (BMI) percentile measurement, family counseling, and referral to community resources.
4. Understand the importance of BMI growth percentiles accurate heights and weights to obtain BMI percentile and tracking serial measures overtime.
5. Identify new Health Effectiveness and Data Information Set (HEDIS) measures for pediatric BMI percentile, nutrition, and physical activity measures.
6. Observe and practice basic counseling skills for childhood obesity.
7. Understand the application of brief focused negotiations and motivational interviewing as counseling approaches for childhood obesity.
8. Become familiar with locating Medi-Cal provider health education and community resources for pediatric obesity, nutrition, and physical activity.

Dinner will be provided. A limited number of travel scholarships will be offered. The first 50 registrants will receive free registration. Hosted by L.A. Care Health Plan. Curriculum materials sponsored by Anthem Blue Cross and L.A. Care. Meeting scholarships sponsored by L.A. Care Health Plan and Anthem Blue Cross. Flip chart obesity summary provided by Health Net.

Please e-mail questions to: Judy Sundquist, MPH, RD (DHCS) at: Judy.Sundquist@dhcs.ca.gov, or Seleda Williams, MD, MPH (DHCS) at: Seleda.Williams@dhcs.ca.gov.