A Decade of Success
The incidence of diabetes is increasing at an alarming rate. Statistics from the American Diabetes Association indicate that 25.8 million children and adults in the United States (8.3% of the population) have diabetes. Even more troubling is the higher incidence of diabetes in the Hispanic population, with Mexican American and Puerto Ricans having the highest incidence of diabetes.
Marie Hines and Diane Urias stopped by the Mary Lanning Healthcare Foundation with DeAnn Carpenter, RN CDE, Program Coordinator, Diabetes Program, and Gerardo Martinez, MLH Interpreter, who work with the diabetes program at MLH.
Maria Hines, MD, MCP, (front left) is Health Program Manager for Congressional District 3, and Diane Urias, is Community Health Educator, Office of Health Disparities and Health Equity, NE DHHS - Public Health Division.
For the state of Nebraska, the prevalence of diabetes continues to increase with 7.8% of the population in 2007 having diabetes. These rates are similar for Adams County where 8% of the population has diabetes. Statistics indicate that the incidence of diabetes will continue to grow with obesity and overweight being the leading factors in the development of Type 2 diabetes. In Nebraska, adults who are obese have increased significantly during the past decade. According to the 2008 BRFSS, 27.2% of Nebraska adults—more than one in four—are obese, compared to 16.3% in 1995, and more than one-half (52.4%) of Nebraska adults who have diabetes are obese (The Impact of Diabetes in Nebraska, 2010).
Diabetes can affect many parts of the body and can lead to serious complications such as blindness, kidney damage, and lower-limb amputations. Preventing complication requires a support network of people including the client, family, friends and health care providers. Finding this support network and understanding diabetes and the treatment can be difficult for anyone but especially for those individuals who may experience other obstacles or barriers.
Intervention:
In 2002, the MLHF and the Diabetes Program first started a Health Program to address the impact of diabetes in the Hispanic community in Adams County. This program was supported by a Minority Health Initiative Grant from the Office of Health Disparities and Equity, NE DHHS - Public Health Division.
2002 - 2005 "Viviendo con Diabetes" Program
This was the first time a program of this kind was implemented in the area with a goal of screening the Hispanic population for Diabetes mellitus, one of the prevailing diseases affecting this particular ethnic group. An infrastructure was developed that involved Support Group Meetings, diabetes education, additional screenings, assistance with diabetes supplies and medication, reaching out to the minority community and connecting them to health care and available resources.
2005 - 2007 "Salud para su Corazón" Program
Expansion included individuals with a strong family background of the disease, those at high risk of developing diabetes and also those with any cardiovascular disease - high blood pressure, heart problems - or at risk, including those that were overweight, or obese and, or with family history of these conditions. New partnerships were developed with the local YMCA and exercise groups in order to impact the member's life styles, emphasizing the importance of an active life and cardio-exercises, something the group welcomed with excitement.
2007 - 2009 "Bienestar de por Vida" Program
Program expansion led to more involvement with family and children on an average of 100 + active adult members and 60 + children actively involved in the MHI. A strong educational component remained with the issues of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, their complications, prevention and management, remaining at the forefront. Continued partnerships with the YMCA and new partnerships with the YWCA and a community garden lead to a stronger emphasis on nutrition and maintaining a healthy life. Participants embraced the idea of writing a cook book with recipes, easy to make and cultural friendly.
2009 - 2011 "Inspirado en el Bienestar" Program
A greater focus was placed on overall wellbeing. The infrastructure of quality education, support group meetings, exercise programs and nutritional teaching was maintained. The community garden continued to grow and new areas of wellness including stress and fitness assessments were added. Participants were asked to complete an individual Heath Risk Survey in order to identify major health issues. This aggregate data help facilitate and guide the program, both as a group and individually.
2011 - Present "El Paquete Total" Program (“The Total Package Program”)
Over the past 10 years, our health program has grown, changed names and added new partners and new participants. However the common goal and interest of improving health and wellness in the minority population has remained the same. We now add in a new level of commitment with a promotora program, outdoor family activities and volunteerism within the community. Each program has built upon the predecessor, adding new goals, expanding the perspectives and developing a new vision in our approach to new challenges. Our new program reaches out to other communities and embraces two new counties, Clay and Webster. We have a solid infrastructure that allows us to offer our experience to neighboring areas and provide them with similar services, such as Health Risk assessments, education, screenings, and ways to connect to the resources and services available to them. After 10 years of growing, our group participants are now looking past themselves beyond their personal goals and giving back to the community through volunteerism and promotoras. We take great pride in our new name and commitment. “You cannot help your neighbor if you do not help, or know how to help yourself”.
Impact:
The impact our program has made over the past ten years has been great. We started with a small group of individuals with diabetes who were identified in a local doctor’s office. We educated and supported this group of 40+ people during Viviendo Con Diabetes. Over the next seven years, we changed the name of our program and expanded our services from individual to spouses to family and children. We expanded from Adams County now to Clay and Webster Counties. We expanded from no exercise component to a strong relationship with the local YMCA. We added in more support group meetings, different educational topics, a community garden, outdoor family events at a local park and now volunteerism. We started by focusing on ourselves to focusing on our family and now focusing on the community. We have come from being an outsider at local events, at the local park and YMCA to recognizing each of us as an integral part of the community and taking pride in our surroundings and what our community has to offer. We have reached hundreds of individuals and family members and made thousands of home visits. We have offered over one hundred support group meetings, completed lab work on hundreds of individuals and have documented thousands of visits to the local YMCA for exercise.
The impact our program has made over the past ten years has greatly affected the lives of our group members. Lives that have been nurtured improved and made healthier all because someone reached out to improve diabetes care in our community.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska
BCBS awarded $12,000 to Mary Lanning Healthcare Foundation for the “Better Choices, Better Sugars” Grant. Keith Bushardt, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at BCBS Nebraska, presented the check to DeAnn Carpenter, MLH diabetes program coordinator, during Kool-Aid Days on Saturday, August 11. The grant was one of two presented to Hastings organizations.
Rob Treblicock, BCBS Director of Community Engagement and Creative Services, said both wellness grants were designed to promote physical or mental wellness, the core of BCBS’s mission.
“This is the fifth year of the BCBS of Nebraska Wellness Grant program,” Treblicock said. “During those five years, we have funded 44 grant programs totaling $434,000 in 26 communities in greater Nebraska. As a Nebraska organization, we are committed to the health and wellness of all Nebraskans,” Treblicock said.
The new program will provide the opportunities for patients to meet with diabetes program nurses for information. Prizes will be awarded for those who meeting their wellness goals.