Following a successful launch in East Tennessee and supported by a three-year, $825,000 grant from the BlueCross Health Foundation, the Microclinic Program is seeking community partners to introduce its healthy lifestyle courses in the central and western areas of the state later this year.

The Microclinic Program empowers small groups of friends and family, or “microclinics,” to take control of their health to prevent and manage chronic diseases. Participants engage in fun and interactive activities to make sustainable lifestyle changes with the ultimate goal of preventing chronic disease. Sessions include learning how to decipher nutrition labels at the grocery store, participating in group fitness activities, and working together to accomplish team health goals. 

Statistics show that Tennessee is in dire need of novel approaches to addressing poor health outcomes. Recent data reveal 13 percent of Tennesseans are diabetic -- the second highest rate in the country -- and one in three citizens are obese. Additionally, Tennessee has the seventh highest rate of cardiovascular related deaths in the United States. In East Tennessee, Microclinic International (MCI) partnered with several area organizations and the Tennessee Department of Health to expand the network of providers supporting and educating individuals who have -- or who are at risk for -- chronic health conditions like diabetes and heart disease. As a result of these efforts, area residents now have access to more than 50 trained Microclinic Program facilitators covering 32 counties in the region.

“About 95 percent of our past program participants have improved at least one marker of their health, and we are excited to bring these successes to all in need across Tennessee,” said Microclinic senior program consultant Misty Philpot.

Building on the success of the 2015 program pilot and 2016 efforts in East Tennessee, MCI and the BlueCross Health Foundation are recruiting community partners from Middle and West Tennessee for program trainings in the spring and fall of 2017. Those interested in learning more about this opportunity, which is free for participating community organizations, can e-mail mistyphilpot@microclinics.org for details.

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