Equip

We are hosting two Equip Academy events next week -- we hope to see you there!

This past week, Equip joined Eating Disorders Coalition at the capitol for it's annual Eating Disorder Advocacy Day. Advocates met with 67 offices in the U.S. House of Representatives and 43 offices in the U.S. Senate to urge Members of Congress to co-sponsor the Nutrition CARE Act and the Kids Online Safety Act. In short, these bills propose: 🍽 The Nutrition CARE Act - that older demographics with Medicare Part B insurance have access to nutrition therapy coverage as a part of eating disorder treatment 🤳 Kids Online Safety Act - that social media platforms take accountability and address harms posed by their algorithms — pro-suicide content is pushed to teens every 2.6 minutes, and pro-ED content is pushed every 8! Next year, Equip's team will be even larger — if you are interested in advocacy for eating disorder legislation, please reach out to us at advisorycouncil@equip.health!

Have you heard of “atypical” anorexia? Most people haven't, even though it's much more common than the name might suggest. Atypical anorexia (AAN) is a diagnosis that describes someone who meets all of the criteria for anorexia nervosa (AN) except that despite significant weight loss, their weight is within or above the “normal” range. There’s no shortage of misconceptions about atypical anorexia. For example, atypical anorexia is actually MORE common than anorexia nervosa: AAN has a lifetime prevalence of 4.9%, as compared to 0.6% for AN. That's just one of the many reasons that we don’t actually use the term “atypical anorexia” at Equip. We believe "atypical" anorexia is just anorexia. Equip recently conducted a study on AAN treatment to combat the plethora of misinformation around this diagnosis. Here were the top 3 takeaways: 1️⃣ Most patients with AAN required weight restoration. 2️⃣ Patients with AAN had less weight to gain to meet their target weights than patients with AN, but the average weight to gain was 14+ lbs, no matter how we defined AAN (there's not one set of diagnostic criteria for AAN). 3️⃣ Patients with AAN reported more severe eating disorder symptoms than those with AN. You can read more about atypical anorexia and our findings here: https://lnkd.in/gY7TTEht

Hey providers! Don’t miss these two special events happening this month at Equip Academy: “The Upside of Cognitive Dissonance:” Tuesday, May 21st at 9:30 am This first event covers the unique power of cognitive dissonance as a tool for transforming body image. Presented by Ally Duvall and Cara Bohon. “Eating Disorders on Campus:” Wednesday, May 22nd at 10:00 am PT / 1:00 pm ET This next event looks at the signs and best practices for treating eating disorders in college populations. Presented by Lara Effland and Jamie Drago. Each session is 60 minutes, including time for Q&A. Both events are open to everyone, and offer free CE/CME credits for anyone who is eligible. Register for each here: https://lnkd.in/gaGcVie5 We hope to see you there! 

Headed to the #DHISEAST conference in June? Be sure to catch this panel on burnout featuring Equip’s own Senior Vice President of People, Elisa M. Vincent This panel will address best practices for clinician security and retention in an era of growing clinical workforce pains. We’re excited to share how Equip’s innovative model with multidisciplinary care teams and virtual delivery can lead to long-term provider satisfaction. Catch the panel on June 6th, 9:45 a.m. at the DHIS summer in Boston. Register at dhis.net/east.

3 things you should know about eating disorders this #mentalhealthawarenessmonth: 1️⃣ Eating disorders are a mental health issue Eating disorders are mental health disorders, not a choice or a phase or a matter of vanity. Unfortunately, due to misconceptions and stigma, they're often left out of the greater mental health conversation. Even some medical providers don’t view eating disorders as mental health disorders that can affect people of ALL ages. This can lead to under-diagnosis. 2️⃣ The majority of eating disorder patients have another mental health diagnosis Co-occurring conditions are INCREDIBLY common for people with eating disorders. These include anxiety, depression, ADHD, OCD, BPD, AUD, and more. Here are few resources to dig deeper into these intersections: • https://lnkd.in/g2xzcj-3  • https://lnkd.in/gDpNJTkn  • https://lnkd.in/gwqWuCWy 3️⃣ Eating disorders are the second most life-threatening mental illness Eating disorders have the second highest mortality rate of any mental health condition, after opioid use disorder. People with eating disorders die due to multiple physical complications and higher rates of suicide.  This is why it’s essential we talk about eating disorders when we talk about mental health.

It's #mentalhealthawarenessmonth, so we’re spotlighting a new release that’s essential reading for anyone looking to better grasp the current mental health crisis in America. Profiles in Mental Health Courage, a new book from Equip’s own advisor Patrick J. Kennedy and journalist Stephen Fried, brings together dozens of inspiring stories of mental health resiliency. It's through books like these that we can continue to tear down the stigmas that have shadowed mental health care — including eating disorder care — for far too long. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/evGNcCSq #ProfilesInMentalHealthCourage.

We’d love to see you at the American Case Management Association (ACMA) conference this month! We're proud to be sponsoring this conference that brings together all types of health care professionals for two days of knowledge-sharing and discussions. The 2024 ACMA conference is on April 19-22nd in Nashville, TN. Come say hi to Equip at booth #310! #ACMA2024

Thank you Kno2 for having Cara Bohon on your podcast to discuss the importance of connectivity and communication in Equip's virtual treatment model. To learn more about how we are prioritizing effective and streamlined communication in virtual healthcare, listen here: https://lnkd.in/gkrrPm6Y

Equip recently published the first randomized study comparing dietary interventions used in eating disorder treatment! The study compared a Plate-by-Plate approach to a daily calorie target approach. Here are some of the key takeaways: 👉 The daily calorie target approach led to slightly more weight gain 👉 Dietitians and caregivers both rated the daily calorie target approach as more effective for weight restoration 👉 Daily calorie target was found to be a safe and well-accepted approach for caregivers participating in family-based treatment These results challenged longstanding myths around the use of calorie-based approaches with caregivers. Read the full study to learn more: https://lnkd.in/g9CN-Bx5