Advancing Arthritis Public Health Priorities The New Jersey YMCA State Alliance, with support from partners, implemented a pilot program across six local YMCAs to expand…

This Arthritis Council workgroup is open to states and national partners who want to discuss the screening/counseling/referral of individuals with arthritis and the efforts to increase healthcare providers counseling on physical activity to reduce arthritis pain, and referrals by those providers to evidence-based interventions. Participants are encouraged to share successes, challenges, barriers and invited to discuss opportunities to facilitate success towards strategy 2. The August workgroup call included time for reflection and sharing of new resources.

Poster: Walking Our Way to An Innovative Collaboration In 2022, a team of individuals from various national and regional organizations came together with a shared…

Presented on behalf of the Medscape team and co-authors at the 2025 National Conference on Health Communication, Marketing & Media, this poster showcases a study that revealed significant gaps in a range of healthcare professionals’ knowledge and confidence regarding lifestyle management programs for arthritis. These findings underscore the urgent need for interprofessional continuing education to enhance a range of healthcare providers’ ability to integrate exercise, nutrition, and weight-management strategies into patient care.

This manuscript outlines a collaborative public health framework for managing arthritis, connecting primary care providers with community care hubs (CCHs) to enhance patient outcomes. Through standardized screening, brief interventions, and referrals to evidence-based programs and resources, the model aims to improve access, communication, and care coordination for adults with arthritis—particularly in underserved communities. The pilot project, led by the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors, is evaluating this framework’s feasibility and effectiveness. Early results highlight the framework’s potential to improve pain management, physical function, and quality of life for those with chronic diseases, while setting the stage for broader application to other conditions.

This manuscript describes a pilot evaluation of a collaborative framework for arthritis management, emphasizing rigorous coding procedures, triangulation of methods and investigators, and measure alignment across research, evaluation, and clinical care. By leveraging key domains within the IRLM and CFIR frameworks, the team tailored their evaluation to maximize feasibility and engagement with relevant partners while addressing challenges such as limited patient eligibility and sample size. The study highlights the importance of adaptability, site readiness, and collaboration between clinical and community systems to support effective implementation and future expansion of the framework, ensuring both fidelity and flexibility for diverse care settings.

This manuscript describes a new model connecting physical therapists with community care hubs (CCHs) to address ongoing care for older adults with arthritis. The model streamlines electronic referrals from therapy to community-based programs, improves tracking and communication, and supports long-term patient outcomes, including social needs like isolation and food insecurity. By simplifying care coordination and follow-up, the approach aims to enhance health and social support for patients and offers potential for broader application to chronic condition management.

This 90-minute session on Stay Active & Independent for Life (SAIL), led by Master Trainer Erin Bley with support from Master Trainer Sandy Gatlin provides an in-depth overview of the SAIL Fitness program, a brief demonstration and a Q&A component.
Objectives for the webinar include:
1. Provide an overview of the Stay Active and Independent for Life (SAIL) AAEBI
2. Engage participants in a brief demonstration of some of the SAIL exercises
3. Engage participants in discussion around opportunities to integrate SAIL into statewide arthritis efforts
4. Provide a platform for peer-to-peer learning and sharing
Links to presenter slides are available in the summary and resource document.

This Arthritis Council workgroup is open to states and national partners who want to discuss the screening/counseling/referral of individuals with arthritis and the efforts to increase healthcare providers counseling on physical activity to reduce arthritis pain, and referrals by those providers to evidence-based interventions. Participants are encouraged to share successes, challenges, barriers and invited to discuss opportunities to facilitate success towards strategy 2. The June workgroup call focused on stakeholder engagement.

The May 6th webinar features an interactive discussion with CDC Arthritis Management and Well-Being state program recipients on successes and opportunities to advance arthritis public health strategies. The webinar will included time for peer sharing and networking.