|
 Pat
Polansky, the Assistant
Commissioner of Health for the
New Jersey Department of Health
and Senior Services Division of
Aging and Community Services,
who welcomed NOF to New Jersey,
described New Jersey programs
that focused on healthy
lifestyle behaviors to help
prevent and treat osteoporosis.
 Kathleen
Morgan, MEd, DTR, the Chair of
the New Jersey Interagency
Council on Osteoporosis,
demonstrated that better bone
health and prevention, diagnosis
and treatment of osteoporosis
are vitally important to New
Jersey by reviewing the recently
updated New Jersey Osteoporosis
Strategic Plan
Dr. Jeffrey
Levine, MD, MPH, Associate
Professor and Director of
Women’s Health Programs in the
Department of Family Medicine
and Obstetrics, Gynecology, &
Reproductive Services at the
University of Medicine and
Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ)
- Robert Wood Johnson Medical
School, spoke about the scope
and burden of osteoporosis. He
emphasized the strong need for
individuals to improve their
bone health through better
nutrition and exercise. He also
urged individuals to consult
with their health professionals.
A panel of local
experts discussed methods to
combat osteoporosis at the
community level and the need for
the creation and expansion of
programs that increase public
awareness and education about
the disease.
Marie Herbert
Bartello, RN, MS, a Project
Healthy Bones Trainer, described
Project Healthy Bones, an
educational program that
promotes bone healthy exercise
and nutrition.
Elinor
Fritz, RN, MA, the Director of
the Long Term Care Assessment
and Survey Program for the New
Jersey Department of Health and
Senior Services, addressed the
urgent need for increased
oversight and training programs
to decrease osteoporosis related
injuries affecting nursing home
residents.
Ray Saputelli,
Executive Vice President of the
New Jersey Academy of Family
Physicians and Executive
Director of the New Jersey
Academy of Family Physicians
Foundation, analyzed the
barriers that primary care
physicians face in recognizing
and treating osteoporosis and
outlined a creative solution to
this problem: computer software
available to physicians on a
handheld device that is
currently in development. |
