{"id":14516,"date":"2023-11-27T08:57:06","date_gmt":"2023-11-27T14:57:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swopehealth.org\/?p=14516"},"modified":"2024-02-10T04:04:37","modified_gmt":"2024-02-10T10:04:37","slug":"november-diabetes-awareness-month-its-all-about-action","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swopehealth.org\/november-diabetes-awareness-month-its-all-about-action\/","title":{"rendered":"November Diabetes Awareness Month: It\u2019s all about ACTION"},"content":{"rendered":"

Swope Health is a leader in diabetes prevention, care, and treatment, with programs designed to support and educate patients on this common chronic illness. Swope Health keeps a focus on diabetes in November, National Diabetes Awareness Month<\/a>, and all year long.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt Swope Health, we take action to prevent diabetes where possible, and we work closely with patients with diabetes to manage their condition and keep diabetes under control,\u201d said Dr. Naiomi Jamal, Chief Health Officer at Swope Health. \u201cWe want to lessen the impact of diabetes on your life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Jamal, as a public health expert, designed groundbreaking programs to create an environment that better identifies pre-diabetes conditions and helps patients keep existing diabetes conditions under control. In 2018, she launched a pilot program<\/a> to employ a diabetes checklist used with every patient at the Swope Health \u2013 Independence clinic.<\/p>\n

This checklist looks for the three dominant diabetes-related issues: kidney disease, limb amputation, and blindness. For the eye test, there are retinal cameras at every clinic, meaning patients do not need to travel for or schedule a separate examination.<\/p>\n

A second element of the pilot offered personal counseling with a diabetes counselor and small group visits with a certified diabetes educator. The practice of proactive monitoring and social engagement proved a winning combination that improved outcomes and led to the program\u2019s expansion across all Swope Health clinics.<\/p>\n

The program also now includes a Nurse Care Manager<\/a> assigned to high-risk patients with uncontrolled diabetes. The nurse care manager develops specific care plans with the patient, and provides support with meeting goals involving medication, health foods, exercise and more. \u00a0Part of that healthy foods initiative includes consultations with a registered dietitian, who can assist with nutrition, cooking tips, recipes and more, personalized for each patient\u2019s needs.<\/p>\n

Additionally, Swope Health participates in a Health Equity Learning Action Network<\/a> project to improve diabetic health outcomes. The project focuses on the social drivers of health<\/a> \u2013 those non-medical factors that influence health outcomes, including factors like economic stability, education, and healthcare access.<\/p>\n

Health disparities still exist in diabetic outcomes and Swope Health\u2019s programs are geared toward decreasing them, said Dr. Jamal.<\/p>\n

And, beginning in December, Swope Health will offer a new specialty service in podiatry, which will also assist patients with diabetes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/a>, about half of all people with diabetes have some kind of nerve damage, and nerves in the feet and legs are most often affected.<\/p>\n

This can lead to numbness, tingling or pain, as well as no feeling at all \u2013 which can lead to other issues if you can\u2019t feel a cut, blister, or infection that may fester. The Swope Health foot care specialist focus on prevention and education, to avoid foot issues becoming more severe. Patients will be scheduled by referral from their primary care team.<\/p>\n

Diabetes: the basics<\/strong><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a brief refresher on diabetes, with information from the CDC:<\/p>\n