ST. LOUIS, MO (April 15, 2013) – The healthcare costs of people with chronic disease accounted for more than 75 percent of the nation’s $2.2 trillion medical care in 2009. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke and certain types of cancers are the most prevalent and costly, yet the most preventable. Furthermore, research continues to suggest the strong connection between oral health and overall health. Delta Dental of Missouri’s annual futureFOCUS seminar set for Wednesday, April 24 from 7:30 to 11:45 a.m. at the Chase Park Plaza Hotel will examine these issues, as well as how organizational and community leaders can keep up with healthcare trends and use corporate wellness to transform our environments and manage healthcare costs. To register for futureFOCUS2013: Creating an Environment for Healthy Change, visit www.deltadentalmo.com and click on “futureFOCUS.” The event is free.
futureFOCUS2013 is targeted at HR executives and managers, employee benefits professionals, strategic planners, CEOs, benefits consultants, agents, brokers, healthcare professionals and community leaders.
“Delta Dental of Missouri has been working to promote the significance of the oral-systemic connection through its ‘Good Health Starts Here’ campaign,” commented David Haynes, president and CEO of Delta Dental of Missouri. “We are therefore particularly excited to be bringing in the co-founders of the world-renowned Bale/Doneen Method to this year’s event. They are working to further bridge the gap between medicine and dentistry as it relates to disease presentation.”
This event will kick off with a continental breakfast, opening remarks and a moderated panel presentation and discussion titled Expert Perspectives: A Conversation about Systemic Health, before the founders of the Bale/Doneen Method take the stage.
Brad Bale, MD, and Amy Doneen, RN, BSN, MSN, ARNP, are owners and medical directors of the Heart Attack and Stroke Prevention Center in Spokane, Wash. They present their American Academy of Family Physicians accredited two-day preceptorship course in cities across the United States each year, training healthcare providers in advanced cardiovascular disease detection and treatment techniques. Their research on cardiovascular disease prevention has been published in peer-reviewed journals such as Atherosclerosis, Post Graduate Medicine, Journal of the National Medical Association, Journal of Clinical Lipidology, Dental Economics, Expert Roundtable in Cardiology and the Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing. They will share information on the connection between cardiovascular health and oral health and give action steps on how to make overall health changes that make a difference.
Highlighting the event will be an address by keynote speaker Jim Carroll, who is a world renowned global healthcare futurist, trends and innovation expert. Carroll will share insight on how taking a proactive approach to wellness can help companies survive the healthcare crisis. Carroll has a track record of inspiring organizations to reframe the opportunity for innovation in the context of significant, transformative change. He is a thought leader and authority on global trends, rapid business model change, business transformation in a period of economic uncertainty and the necessity for fast-paced innovation. He is an author, columnist, media commentator and consultant with a focus on linking future trends to innovation and creativity. BusinessWeek named Carroll one of four leading sources for insight on innovation and creativity, and he was also a featured expert on the primetime CNBC series, The Business of Innovation.
All attendees will receive a complimentary copy of Jim Carroll’s book titled, The Future Belongs to Those Who Are Fast, with Foreword written by Delta Dental President and CEO David Haynes. Carroll will be available to sign books at the close of the event. For a complete schedule of events, background on the presenters and more, visit www.deltadentalmo.com and click on “futureFOCUS.”
Delta Dental of Missouri’s futureFOCUS seminars have drawn large crowds for more than a decade, addressing the future of healthcare and healthcare benefits through nationally and internationally renowned thought leaders in oral and overall health. To register, visit www.deltadentalmo.com and click on “futureFOCUS.” The registration deadline is Friday, April 19. Walk-ins are welcome, but pre-registration is appreciated. To learn more about Delta Dental of Missouri, find them on Facebook, follow them on Twitter @deltadentalmo or join the conversation at #futureFOCUS2013.
Delta Dental is the dental benefits leader in Missouri and the U.S. Ninety-six percent of Missouri dentists participate in a Delta Dental network and 4 out of 5 dentists participate nationally. In Missouri, more than 1.3 million members in over 1,800 companies, large and small, choose Delta Dental. Nationally, nearly 1 in 3 families with dental benefits choose Delta Dental – 56 million members from nearly 96,000 companies. Delta Dental is also committed to improving the oral health and overall health of the children in our community and therefore proudly supports the Delta Dental Health Theatre, Give Kids A Smile and Delta Dental’s Land of Smiles educational touring theater program. To learn more about Delta Dental of Missouri visit www.deltadentalmo.com.
For more information, contact:
Kelly Harris, The Hauser Group, Inc. 314.436.9090 Kelly@HauserGroupPR.com
Monica Green, Delta Dental of Missouri. 314.656.2669 Monica.Green@ddpmo.org