Youth Camps
March will run a series of Rocky Mountain summer camps for the increasing number of youth being diagnosed with IBD in Alberta. These camps are medically-supervised, comfortable place for youth with IBD to go and have fun; learn about their disease and how to better manage it; and connect with others who have similar challenges. Camps of this sort have been run in both the Kananaskis and Rocky Mountain House areas. However, funding and marketing the camps has been a challenge in the past. March would like to re-invent and re-invigorate these camps.
Gala Dinner
A fundraising event will bring together government representatives, pharmaceutical companies, major Alberta employers, health care professionals, and the IBD community at large.
Family Conference, Retreat
March will host an IBD conference & retreat for Albertans suffering from IBD (and their families). The goal of the conference will be to provide a comfortable environment to educate attendees about IBD and connect them with other individuals and families who are in the same situation trying to cope with the effects of the disease. We envision this becoming a key annual community highlight event for March and including a gala with awards, appreciation, and celebration elements built in.
IBD Patient Hotline & Website
March will launch a provincial IBD help line for patients and families seeking advice and answers to IBD-related questions. The line will be manned by a nurse specialist / nurse practitioner with significant knowledge and experience with IBD.
Patient Website / Virtual Clinic
The University of Alberta, Division of Gastroenterology has expressed interest in partnering with March to create the #1 patient-focused IBD care website on the internet. Our vision for the site is to not only include a wealth of reputable information and tools to help people learn about and better manage their IBD, but to also foster an online community that connects patients, families, members of the medical community, and other relevant stakeholders using modern interactive web technology.
Stanford Chronic Disease Management Program
The Stanford University Patient Education Research Center has developed, tested, and evaluated self-management programs for people with chronic health problems. The programs are designed to help people gain confidence in their ability to control their symptoms and to understand how health problems affect their lives.
We have begun working with The Capital Health Authority (who is licensed to deliver the Stanford program) to build and launch a Chronic Disease Management Program for IBD patients and their families across Alberta. Workshops will be co-delivered by a healthcare professional and a “layperson” who has IBD. The workshops are highly interactive and focus on building skills and sharing experiences.
Advocacy & Awareness
March will be a strong, unified voice for IBD in Alberta, influencing government, health authorities, and others to and narrow the gaps that currently exist for IBD patients and families. And of course, a good advocacy strategy is wisely coupled with Public Awareness to ensure Alberta constituents know about and understand the impacts of IBD on their communities.
Youth Camps
March will run a series of Rocky Mountain summer camps for the increasing number of youth being diagnosed with IBD in Alberta. These camps are medically-supervised, comfortable place for youth with IBD to go and have fun; learn about their disease and how to better manage it; and connect with others who have similar challenges. Camps of this sort have been run in both the Kananaskis and Rocky Mountain House areas. However, funding and marketing the camps has been a challenge in the past. March would like to re-invent and re-invigorate these camps.
Gala Dinner
A fundraising event will bring together government representatives, pharmaceutical companies, major Alberta employers, health care professionals, and the IBD community at large.
Family Conference, Retreat
March will host an IBD conference & retreat for Albertans suffering from IBD (and their families). The goal of the conference will be to provide a comfortable environment to educate attendees about IBD and connect them with other individuals and families who are in the same situation trying to cope with the effects of the disease. We envision this becoming a key annual community highlight event for March and including a gala with awards, appreciation, and celebration elements built in.
IBD Patient Hotline & Website
March will launch a provincial IBD help line for patients and families seeking advice and answers to IBD-related questions. The line will be manned by a nurse specialist / nurse practitioner with significant knowledge and experience with IBD.
Patient Website / Virtual Clinic
The University of Alberta, Division of Gastroenterology has expressed interest in partnering with March to create the #1 patient-focused IBD care website on the internet. Our vision for the site is to not only include a wealth of reputable information and tools to help people learn about and better manage their IBD, but to also foster an online community that connects patients, families, members of the medical community, and other relevant stakeholders using modern interactive web technology.
Stanford Chronic Disease Management Program
The Stanford University Patient Education Research Center has developed, tested, and evaluated self-management programs for people with chronic health problems. The programs are designed to help people gain confidence in their ability to control their symptoms and to understand how health problems affect their lives.
We have begun working with The Capital Health Authority (who is licensed to deliver the Stanford program) to build and launch a Chronic Disease Management Program for IBD patients and their families across Alberta. Workshops will be co-delivered by a healthcare professional and a “layperson” who has IBD. The workshops are highly interactive and focus on building skills and sharing experiences.
Advocacy & Awareness
March will be a strong, unified voice for IBD in Alberta, influencing government, health authorities, and others to and narrow the gaps that currently exist for IBD patients and families. And of course, a good advocacy strategy is wisely coupled with Public Awareness to ensure Alberta constituents know about and understand the impacts of IBD on their communities.