The Muskegon Community Health Project houses two Pathways master trainers who are available to help chronic disease sufferers in the Muskegon County area learn to live better lives through proper chronic disease management. The program focuses on “self management”, empowering individuals to take control of their own illnesses to live freer, more fulfilling lives.

Liz Chala-Hidalgo was certified as a master trainer for chronic disease management by the Stanford School of Medicine in 2007. She is a fluent Spanish speaker and in addition to offering the chronic disease management program in English, she also offers the program in Spanish: Tomando Control de Su Salud.

Mimi Rankin was certified as a master trainer for chronic disease management by the Stanford School of Medicine in 2005.

The program works through six steps:

1. Providing techniques for the emotional challenges of chronic disease: fatigue, pain, frustration, and feelings of isolation.
2. Developing exercise programs to maintain and improve strength, flexibility and endurance.
3. Education about proper medicine use.
4. Suggestions for communicating needs and concerns with friends, family, and doctors.
5. Education about proper nutrition.
6. Providing methods to evaluate new treatments, to ensure they’re right for the chronic disease sufferer.

The Pathways chronic disease management program is a training workshop offered by the Stanford School of Medicine. It is a program rooted in empirical, scientific studies on how to improve the lives of individuals who suffer from chronic illnesses.

Pathways Chronic Disease Management Partners

• Hackley Community Care Clinic
• Disability Connection
• Access Health
• Muskegon Community Health Project