Oklahoma Healthy Brain Initiative (OHBI) which will provide Technical Assistance to implement Public Health Actions related to cognitive health. - Chronic Disease Prevention Services (CDPS) at the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) has a vision to promote an equitable quality of life for all Oklahomans. CDPS constantly strives to make progress towards this vision through its mission: To advance population health and prevent chronic disease by transforming policies, systems, and environments. The Oklahoma Healthy Brain Initiative (OHBI) aims to enhance Oklahoma’s ability to affect change at the population level by establishing and strengthening partnerships to implement sustainable health systems changes for improving prevention and early diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD), enhanced public education and caregiver support, and prevention of avoidable hospitalizations among the target population. We are applying for Component 2 funding to enhance Oklahoma's ADRD education, and programs and services internally as well as through external partners. Oklahoma has several groups providing information, education and services to Alzheimer's patients and their caregivers. OHBI will assist these groups to bring awareness to and enhance their programs across the state. The Oklahoma Healthy Brain Initiative will collaborate with internal and external partners to expand and enhance education and awareness to the general public, caregivers and the workforce across the state. In order to increase the number of ADRD stakeholders engaging in state or local collaboration and action, the Oklahoma Healthy Brain Initiative will maintain and enhance the OHBI statewide coalition of stakeholders. OHBI coalition members and partners will be charged with creating action plans for the ADRD State Plan goals and objectives as well as the implementation of the goals. The Oklahoma Healthy Brain Initiative will implement existing evidence-based strategies that meet Oklahoma’s needs based on the data collected and achieve the period of performance outcomes outlined in this funding opportunity. OHBI intends to utilize a coordinated chronic disease approach to leverage resources and opportunities with internal and external partners and will implement policy, systems and environment (PSE) strategies through state and community level partnerships to foster sustainable progress with ADRD. OHBI’s approach is anchored on the principles of the socio-ecological model and the social determinants of health. The OHBI coalition will collaborate amongst their workgroups to create action plans for their ADRD state plan goals and objectives. They will then assist in the implementation of the action plan and assist in workplan activities. In addition, CDPS with support from key stakeholders such as the Alzheimer’s Association Oklahoma Chapter will utilize available data to advocate for the implementation of the ADRD State Plan goals and objectives which were created with the CDC’s State and Local Public Health Partnerships to Address Dementia: The 2018-2023 Road Map (RM) Series in mind. The actions the Oklahoma Health Brain Initiative have focused on in the state plan are RM actions: P-1: Promote the use of effective interventions and best practices to protect brain health, address cognitive impairment, and help meet the needs of caregivers for people with dementia; M-3: Use data gleaned through available surveillance strategies and other sources to inform the public health program and policy response to cognitive health, impairment, and caregiving; E-1: Educate the public about brain health and cognitive aging, changes that should be discussed with a health professional, and benefits of early detection and diagnosis; W-5: Strengthen the competencies of professionals who deliver healthcare and other care services to people with dementia through inter-professional training and other strategies; W-6: Educate healthcare professionals about the importance of treating co-morbidities, addressing injury risks, and attending to behavioral health needs among people at all stages of dementia.
