Pacific Chronic Disease Council

Pacific Chronic Disease Council

The Pacific Chronic Disease Council is a group of representatives from the United States Affiliated Pacific Islands. The Council strives to bridge the gap in health disparities by reducing the chronic disease burden, mobilizing resources, and recognizing the uniqueness of our communities and people.

About the Council

NACDD’s Pacific Chronic Disease Council (PCDC) serves as the NACDD Board of Directors’ point of contact for each of the United States Affiliated Pacific Islands (USAPI). The Council develops input, feedback, and perspective on the policy, leadership, and management of coordinated chronic disease prevention and health promotion to address chronic non-communicable diseases (NCD) and associated risk factors in the USAPI jurisdictions.

The PCDC has 10 Members representing the following USAPI jurisdictions:

Amber Lynn Mendiola-Romolor, Chair –Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

  • American Samoa – Fara Utu
  • Guam – Patrick Luces
  • Federated States of Micronesia – X-ner Luther
    • Chuuk – Moria Shomour
    • Kosrae – Tholman Alik
    • Pohnpei – Mary Allen Donre
    • Yap – Martina Reichhardt
  • Republic of Palau – Edolem Ikerdeu
  • Republic of the Marshall Islands – Leilani Lani-Peren

The USAPI jurisdictions participating in the PCDC include:

  • American Samoa
  • Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
    • Federated States of Micronesia
  • Chuuk State, Kosrae State, Pohnpei State, Yap State
  • Guam
  • Republic of Palau
  • Republic of the Marshall Islands Ebeye Island and Majuro Island

In the Pacific Care Model, patterned after the Health Resources and Services Administration Health Disparities Collaborative Model, the PCDC teams work to improve healthcare quality and outcomes by incorporating information technology, evidence-based disease management, organizational change best practices, and self-management support—strengthened by community resources.

The Pacific Care Model

Read the Pacific Chronic Disease Council’s Guidebook, Navigating the Course of Diabetes Self-Care (2021)

The Pacific Care Model uses the outrigger canoe and traditional navigation system as an organizing framework for healthcare teams to work collaboratively to improve outcomes.

Pacific canoe journeys were historically guided by expert knowledge of the stars and the ocean’s current and wave patterns. In the model, the six navigating stars characterize the basic elements for healthcare quality improvement.

 

Each star navigates the changes needed in community and health systems to create effective communication (represented by the canoe mast) between informed, activated patients and families and a prepared, proactive healthcare team – which lead to patient- and family-centered services and improvements in health outcomes.

The Pacific NCD Collaborative is built on a participatory process that promotes co-learning and facilitates collaborative and equitable partnerships, building the skills and strengths of local leadership responsible for health.

Non-Communicable disease death rates continue to rise among the Pacific people along with increasing numbers of diabetes related complications such as amputations and kidney failure.

We must find ways to bend the curve and decrease the numbers. I commend the Non-Communicable Disease Collaborative, as it helps us share lessons learned and strengthen action with government ministries, healthcare systems, and community-based partners across the region.

Honorable Kalani Kaneko, Minister of Health, Republic of the Marshall Islands

For more information on the Pacific Chronic Disease Council, contact Patrick Luces, PCDC Chair.

The Council’s primary functions include

Represent USAPI NCD programs

Represent USAPI NCD programs and related issues and concerns within the NACDD in promoting chronic disease programs.

Be an avenue through which programs may act collectively

Provide an avenue through which USAPI NCD prevention and control programs may act collectively with national, professional, governmental, and voluntary agencies and associations on issues that affect the operation and implementation of publicly funded NCD prevention and control programs within the region.

Educate on legislation, policies, and programs

Educate on legislation, policies, and programs to reduce the burden of NCD and associated risk factors within the USAPI.

Provide leadership and develop partnerships

Provide leadership and develop partnerships and linkages with entities to create opportunities and strategies for professional development and program growth within PCDC membership and community partners.

Provide a forum for the exchange of ideas, strategies, materials, and policies

Provide a forum for PCDC members to exchange ideas, strategies, materials, and policies and procedures to improve and enhance comprehensive public health programs/policies for NCD and associated risk factors.

Evaluate and translate scientific and educational developments

Evaluate and translate scientific and educational developments relevant to NCDs and associated risk factors within USAPI jurisdictions

Provide comments and recommendations to federal agencies

Provide comments and recommendations to federal agencies, private and public associations, and others as requested or for which the PCDC feels comments are required.

Careers at NACDD

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