The California Chronic Care Coalition launches new website to share information on chronic conditions

Aug 24 2009

The California Chronic Care Coalition (CCCC) continues to advance its work toward meaningful and responsible health care reform with the launching of its consumer website: www.chroniccareca.org. Designed to help build a healthier California, the website is aimed at the more than 16 million Californians with chronic conditions such as Asthma, Diabetes, Alzheimer’s Heart disease, Epilepsy and Multiple Sclerosis. The web site provides information, resources and a forum for patients, providers and legislators to discuss the prevention and wellness issues and the steps it will take to advance health care reform initiatives.

“Chronic disease is the public health challenge of the 21^st century. Reforming California’s health care system will require a paradigm shift from ‘crisis centered care’ to ‘prevention centered care,’” stated Liz Helms, CCCC Chair. “The CCCC understands this prevention-centered philosophy and proposes a 7-point plan aimed at restructuring the health care system.”

“People who visit our website will be able to access valuable tools which will provide a better understanding of how we can all work together to mold our broken health care system into a model that works to improve quality, access and affordability,” Maria Robles, RN, Californians for Patient Care. “As a CCCC member, we are proud of the leadership provided by the coalition and are vested on the philosophy that access to health care is a human right and not a privilege.”

Currently, we know that 75% of health care spending goes towards people with chronic conditions. These persistent conditions — the nation’s leading causes of death and disability — leave in their wake deaths that could have been prevented, or lifelong disability, compromised quality of life, and burgeoning health care costs. The facts are shocking:

• 7 out of 10 deaths are from chronic diseases
• In 2005, 133 million Americans - almost 1 out of every 2 adults – had at least one chronic illness
• Almost half of all people with chronic conditions have multiple illnesses
• Women are more likely to have chronic conditions
• Health disparities in chronic disease incidence and mortality are widespread among members of racial and ethnic minority populations
• Mental illnesses and chronic diseases are closely related as chronic diseases exacerbate symptoms of depression

“One goal of responsible health care reform must be to improve the health of Californians with chronic illnesses, by increasing the effectiveness and quality of the care provided, thus reducing hospitalizations, nursing home placement and associated staggering costs,” stated Bill Remak, California Hepatitis C Task Force Director and two-time liver transplant patient. “People with chronic conditions have distinctive needs, which Californian’s health care financing and delivery systems must effectively address.

www.chroniccareca.org