b'OSTEOPOROSIS AWARENESS AND PREVENTION: Leading the WayEmily HigginsRN, MSN, ONC I NURSE EDUCATOR ORTHOPAEDIC SPECIALTIESOsteoporosis Awareness Clinicians and health professionals from around the country come together to increase awareness and prevention of osteoporosis and metabolic bone disease. As health care professionals, Concord Hospital staff play a critical role in helping patients maintain strong, healthy bones. Concord Hospitals Fragility Fracture Committee is working to debunk the stigma of osteoporosis and promote prevention, detection and effective treatment of osteoporosis.Fragility Fracture CommitteeA group led by co-chairs Emily Higgins, RN and Dr. Sean Burns with a mission to prevent and treat fragility fractures. The group is a multidisciplinary team with members including nurses, surgeons, hospitalist, an ED provider, a therapist, nutrition and trauma. We strive to improve care by analyzing fracture data on a regular basis, work on opportunities of improvement across the continuum and assess best practices to ensure patients are receiving evidence- fracture patients receive the treatment and care that they deserve based care.by implementing The American Orthopaedic Associations (AOA) Own the Bone program. The program is aimed to better identify, The most recent process improvements have ventured intoevaluate and treat patients that suffer from an osteoporosis or low multiple value streams. The ED has begun to administer nervebone density-related fracture. The program brings attention to the blocks to fractured hip patients to improve pain control andsevere health implications of fragility fractures (broken bones that decrease the need for using opioid medications. result from a fall from standing height or less) and the multi-faceted approach hospitals or clinics can incorporate to ensure these Own the Bone patients receive the most comprehensive care.According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF), up toConcord Hospital is Leading the Way50 percent of all women and 25 percent of men over the age of 50 will sustain a fragility fracture.The strongest predictor of ain Post-Fracture Care fracture is a fracture.Studies show that patients who have had aThe Own the Bone Star Performer designation is reserved only fragility fracture are 2 to 4 times morefor institutions that have achieved a 75 percent compliance rate likely to experience another fracturewith at least five of the 10 Own the Bone prevention measures than those who have never had aincluding: educating patients on the importance of calcium and fracture. Yet 80 percent of Medicarevitamin D, physical activity, fall prevention, limiting alcohol intake patients do not receive recommendedand quitting smoking; recommending and initiating bone mineral osteoporosis care following a density testing; discussing pharmacotherapy and treatment (when fragility fracture.applicable); and providing written communication to the patient and their physician regarding specific risk factors and treatment Concord Hospital is one of over 270 health care institutionsrecommendations. Concord Hospital has earned this designation nationwide that has taken initiative to ensure its osteoporotic yearly since 2015.P E O P L E | I N T E G R A T I O N | T R A N S F O R M A T I O N40'