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Healthcare Work Group Goals

The purpose of the Healthcare Work Group is to increase support for healthcare professionals and healthcare systems to promote physical activity and nutrition habits that prevent and control obesity and obesity-related chronic disease in Missouri children and adults. We aim to accomplish this purpose through enhancing prevention and treatment of overweight and obesity through improved healthcare professional knowledge, skills, and practices. Our work group sponsors an annual award to both a healthcare professional and pre-professional displaying outstanding advocacy work in the area of prevention or treatment of obesity.

Goal
Increase the number of children and adults receiving treatment for obesity (FBT – family based behavioral treatment, MNT – medical nutrition therapy, IBT – intensive behavioral therapy) in collaboration with the Healthy Weight Advisory Committee.
Objectives

Promote the new MO HealthNet Benefit for the treatment of obesity and increase the work-force capacity for this benefit.

  • Promote trainings for MNT, IBT, and FBT (see definitions above).
  • Help to create certified provider database for referral networking.
  • Educate medical providers in the existence of the benefit and the steps to enroll patients.
  • Inform best strategies to improve patient and family understanding of value of weight management and benefit available.

Capture number of children and adults receiving FBT/IBT/ MNT treatment for obesity through the MOHealthNet benefit and through research currently being done across the state of Missouri at baseline (2022) and periodically.

  • Establish tracking through MOHealthNet and managed care insurers regarding prior authorizations and benefit claims received.
  • Survey existing research programs providing training and treatment.
Goal
Support healthcare professional physical activity assessment/counseling/coverage.
Objectives
  • Collaborate with Physical Activity Work Group to support the implementation of the KC PA plan, the SW MO PA plan, and other PA plans in the state of Missouri.
  • Advocate with insurers to provide coverage for physical activity assessment and counseling.
  • Provide education to healthcare professionals to assess and counsel about physical activity.
  • Provide education to healthcare professionals to be able to code and bill for physical activity assessment and counseling.
Goal
Support healthcare professional nutrition assessment/counseling/coverage.
Objectives
  • Collaborate with Food Systems Work Group to support mechanisms for combating food scarcity across the state of Missouri.
  • Advocate with insurers to provide coverage for nutrition assessment and counseling.
  • Provide education to healthcare professionals to assess and counsel for nutrition issues, including food scarcity and other social determinants of health and to assess and counsel about these topics.
  • Provide education to healthcare professionals to be able to code and bill for nutrition assessment and counseling.
Goal
Promote outstanding healthcare professional innovation through community collaboration to prevent and/or treat obesity.
Objectives
  • Continue to offer annual healthcare awards to professional and pre-professional individuals.
  • Solicit nominations from professional and pre-professional organizations throughout Missouri.

Contact the Healthcare Work Group chairs to learn more:

Healthcare Work Group contacts

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Publication No. N3024

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