The National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) released updated guidelines for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis in February 2008. The guidelines state that osteoporosis is the most common bone disease in humans and represents a major public health issue as described in Bone Health and Osteoporosis: A Report of the Surgeon General.  Through a grant from the North Carolina Osteoporosis Foundation, Area L AHEC brings you podcasts on osteoporosis from four perspectives:

1)    Sylvia Escott-Stump, MA, RD, LDN – Dietetics program Director at East Carolina University

2)    Mary Elesha Adams, FNP, MSN, RN – Family Nurse Practitioner

3)    Gary R. Glisson, RPh, FACA, FIACP – Owner/Pharmacist of Ward Drug Company of Nashville, NC

4)    Brenda T. Martin, MSN, RN – Nursing educator and osteoporosis patient

These podcasts are a joint effort of the Citizen Soldier Support Programs and the Department Veteran's Affairs (VA) Mid-Atlantic Health Care Network (VISN 6)  Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center.  Congress established the National Demonstration Program for Citizen Soldier Support in 2005 to help build bridges between community resources and military families. Hosted by the Odum Institute for Research in Social Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, this program focuses on the needs of National Guard and other Reserve service members and their families. 

Mental Health Podcasts - Integrated Care is a concept whose time has come.  With funding from The Duke Endowment, Area L AHEC has developed a series of programs to support primary care practitioners in dealing with behavioral health issues within their practice.  The programs have utilized algorithms developed to assess and treat patients with behavioral health concerns within the scope of practice of the primary care practitioner.  Additionally, the project strives to support clinicians by providing accessible resources.  Partners in the project include iCare, Mountain AHEC, Wake AHEC, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, and Northwest AHEC.