The Department of Health has partnered with Washington State Parks to offer free Discover Passes to distribute to patients with arthritis, with a priority on patients also experiencing financial hardship.
Through support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, DOH was awarded $18,720 from the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors to increase physical activity and outdoor recreation among people with arthritis. Washington's Park Rx Discover Pass opportunity helps healthcare providers counsel patients with arthritis to manage pain using physical activity by offering a valuable resource to support these patients – a free annual Discover Pass.
What is Park Rx?
Washington Park Rx is part of Park Rx America, which is a national program whose mission is to decrease the burden of chronic disease by making it easy for healthcare providers to prescribe state parks and other public lands to their patients as part of their overall health care regimen. Healthcare providers involved in Park Rx include medical doctors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, mental health therapists, massage therapists, chiropractors, yoga instructors, and even veterinarians.
What is the Park Rx Discover Pass opportunity?
- Washington State Parks will provide up to 20 free Discover Passes to Park Rx healthcare providers interested in participating in the program while supplies last.
- Throughout the summer, participating healthcare providers counsel people with arthritis on physical activity, and offer a free annual Discover Pass to encourage and support being more physically active.
- Patients use their free Discover Passes for day-use admission to state parks to increase their physical activity and manage pain from arthritis.
How to participate: Any healthcare provider in Washington can participate in Park Rx. To participate in this opportunity, healthcare providers must work with patients who have arthritis. Healthcare provider who would like to participate in Park Rx and the Discover Pass opportunity may contact Sandy Mealing by email at sandy.mealing@doh.wa.gov or call 360-236-4467. To participate in the Discover Pass opportunity, healthcare providers must first be registered with Park Rx America.
For more information about Park Rx, visit online.