The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now states that there are almost 24 million Americans with diabetes. The latest prevalence data from 2005 indicates that 5.5% of our nation’s people are diabetics. In the state of Georgia, the prevalence rate of diabetes increases to 7.4%. A closer look at home reveals that Berrien and Cook Counties both exceed the national percentage and the state percentage. An astounding 9.6% of the citizens of Berrien County have diabetes and 10% of those living in Cook County have also been diagnosed with this chronic disease.
In addition to this prevalence data, other health risks such as high rates of obesity, little physical activity, high poverty levels, and the racial composition of the populations make it clear that diabetes is a serious health issue for Cook and Berrien Counties. According to the 2008 publication of the Georgia Health Disparities Report, both Berrien and Cook Counties received a grade of F in the category of primary care access for minority groups. Additional medical resources are a necessity in these two counties if they have any hope of combating this chronic disease. Therefore, health care representatives from the two counties will form a consortium to address this growing problem as a team. This consortium will join a diabetes education and prevention program called Sweet Dreams that originated in 2006 in Ben Hill and Irwin Counties.
The target population will include individuals who have been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and the general public who need education about forming healthy lifestyle behaviors that will lower their risk of becoming diabetic. An emphasis will be placed on those who do not have insurance and/or who live in poverty. The goals of the project will be to reduce the number of hospitalizations resulting from diabetes or diabetic complications in Berrien, Cook, Irwin and Ben Hill counties by 10%, to increase healthy lifestyle behaviors among residents, and to reduce the incidence of Type 2 Diabetes in these counties through awareness of prevention strategies.
Grant funds will be used to provide expanded educational classes for diabetics, including individual and group nutritional counseling, and community education programs for the public that will be offered to groups such as churches and senior citizen centers. This will include a salary for a nurse with a background in diabetes education and a part time Nutritionist/Registered Dietitian to provide most of the education with the assistance of peer educators. Peer educators will be trained in the prevention and treatment of Type 2 Diabetes and will be awarded a stipend for providing education services to their community. The nurse will also serve as the Project Coordinator.
A major concern in these communities is the inability of diabetics to afford the growing costs of medications and other related medical supplies. Therefore, a system will be developed and funded through this program to assist patients in accessing financial assistance for their diabetic medications and supplies. A salary for an administrative assistant will also come from the grant funds. This assistant will work with the medication assistance program along with assisting the project coordinator with
collecting data and performing other clerical duties for the project.
A detailed time line and budget will be formulated using Sweet Dreams current project in addition to the recommendations provided by the Berrien and Cook Counties consortium. A tentative date for the first meeting of this consortium is scheduled for September 9, 2008 from 12:00 until 1:00 PM at the Adel Memorial Hospital.
Together we can make a difference.
Bridget Walters, RN, BSN
Diabetes Nurse Educator, Sweet Dreams
407 West 4th Street
Ocilla, Georgia 31774
229-468-5891
bmwalters@dhr.state.ga.us
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