Family Voices Awarded Project to Fight Childhood Obesity by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute
Albuquerque, New Mexico (PRWEB) January 08, 2014 -- Family Voices, Inc. has been awarded a “Pipeline to Proposal” funding award by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). The project is one of 30 proposals approved for these seed funds intended to build communities interested in advancing patient- and stakeholder-driven health research.
Family Voices’ Engaging Native American and Spanish-Speaking Families and Sharing Family Wisdom to Reduce Childhood Obesity will focus on developing partnerships in two Western states to empower families and build a community interested in promoting research on childhood obesity. A peer mentoring model based on Family Voices’ Bright Futures and Healthy Lifestyles will be developed in partnership with two of our State Affiliate Organizations in the Western United States. Childhood obesity is an ongoing epidemic with disproportionate impact on Native Americans and Spanish-speaking children.
This award is among the first to be made through PCORI’s new Eugene Washington PCORI Engagement Awards program. These Tier I Pipeline to Proposal awards provide seed funds to encourage the development of partnerships and research project ideas among individuals and groups who want to take an active role in health research.
The funds will help Family Voices build relationships with other individuals and groups interested in childhood obesity. The funds will also help develop governance and guidance structures, such as an advisory council and strategic plan. PCORI hopes these foundational steps will eventually lead to topics and proposals for comparative effectiveness research studies.
"Family Voices is delighted to be a part of PCORI’s important work for patient-centered outcomes research," states Molly Cole, President of Family Voices. "Family Voices is committed to family-centered care approaches that lead to quality health care for children with special health care needs."
According to Family Voices Executive Director Cristine Marchand, "Children with special health care needs comprise 15.5% of all children in the United States – 11.2 million children. We believe true change will come about in health care to these children through educated and empowered families. Our collaboration with PCORI will enable us to demonstrate the changes that occur in families and their communities as families share their wisdom, experiences and support to one another. "
The Family Voices project was selected by review panels made up of patients, stakeholders, and researchers. All projects are approved pending a programmatic and budget review by PCORI staff and negotiation of a formal contract.
PCORI is an independent, non-profit organization authorized by Congress in 2010 to fund research that will provide patients, their caregivers and clinicians with the evidence-based information needed to make better-informed health care decisions. PCORI's expanding portfolio now includes 279 patient-centered studies and initiatives. PCORI has awarded a total of $464.4 million since it began funding patient-centered comparative effectiveness research in 2012. For more information about PCORI, visit http://pcori.org.
Family Voices is a national family-led non-profit organization with 46 State Affiliate Organizations. Family Voices aims to achieve family centered care for all children and youth with special health care needs and/or disabilities. Through our national grassroots network, we provide families resources and support to make informed decisions, advocate for improved public and private policies, build partnerships among families and professionals, and serve as a trusted resource on health care. For more information please go to http://www.familyvoices.org.
Contact: Cristine Marchand
cmarchand(at)familyvoices(dot)org
505-872-4774
Natasha Tapia, Family Voices Inc, +1 505-872-4774, [email protected]
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