1 Strategies for Sustainability Sharon Johnson Oregon State University Extension Service …“built to last”

2 In southern Oregon, the chronic disease self-management program is built on….. Collaboration  OSU Extension  Area Agency on Aging  United Way  Local foundations  Local hospitals and clinics  RSVP (Retired Senior Volunteer Program)

3 In southern Oregon, the program relies on…  A single coordinating ‘hub’  A talent pool of (fully engaged) volunteers  A (developing) database for on-going program management

4 In southern Oregon, the initial challenges were…  Lack of initial health provider investment (interest, money or time)  Making it ‘sexy’ enough  Appealing to the ‘right’ return on investment  The weight of of other priorities

5 In southern Oregon, initial success is grounded on…  A large, visible population of older adults  The positive presence of ‘Powerful Tools of Caregiving’  Persistence, persistence, persistence

6 In southern Oregon, sustaining success involves…  Continue to fuel the now- established momentum  Acquire additional investments  “Systematize” the approaches

7 Future strategies for sustainability include…  Expand existing website; use it as the primary informational resource  Maximize use of the media (community cable TV; weekly newspaper columns)

8 More sustainability strategies  Encourage participants and leaders to ‘leverage’ physician referrals  Involve libraries in promotion and information-giving  ‘Regionalize’ the concept  Nurture volunteers (maximally)  Celebrate successes

9 Sustainability Strategies in southern Oregon: An Overview COPE  Collaboration (commitment, careful planning)  Organization (operating practices clear)  Persistence (passion, pure stubbornness)  Evaluation (excessive attention to impact) … “built to last”

10 For additional information about southern Oregon chronic disease self management programs using Stanford University approaches…. Sharon Johnson Oregon State University Extension Service x210 du du Program website: chronicconditions.htm chronicconditions.htm John Irwin Community Informatics Consulting