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julio 9, 2018

Keeping our Patients Healthy through Diabetes Prevention and Education

One of Mission Neighborhood Health Center’s (MNHC) core values is clinical excellence focused on supporting the wellness and healing of our patients and community by providing high quality, evidence-driven and team-based care.  As part of that commitment, this spring MNHC launched its first Diabetes Empowerment Education Program (DEEP™) aimed at preventing diabetes for those at risk and educating patients with diabetes how to better manage their condition.

With the support of a three-year $25, 000 grant from San Francisco Health Plan.  MNHC staff recently completed the first of three series for this year. The series will alternate between the Shotwell and Excelsior sites.

DEEP™ is a licensed diabetes self-management education curriculum developed by the Midwest Latino Health Research, Training and Policy Center at the University of Illinois, Chicago in collaboration with Health Services Advisory Group (HSAG). It was developed for use in low-income, racial and ethnic minority populations and has been shown to be successful in helping participants take control of their disease and reduce the risk of complications.

The DEEP™ series includes:

• Module 1: Understanding the Human Body and Risks Factors for Diabetes
• Module 2: Monitoring your Body
• Module 3: Physical Activity and Barriers to Physical Activity
• Module 4: Weight Management through Meal Planning
• Module 5: Medications and Medical Care
• Module 6: Living with Pre-Diabetes and Diabetes: Mobilizing your Family and Friends

Class participants must be 18 years of age and older with an A1C (a test of blood sugar control) of 5.7-6.4% and had a medical visit at MNHC in the past six (6) months.  Over 450 patients at the MNHC sites meet these criteria.

Under the direction of Iran Pont, RD, chronic care coordinator at the Shotwell site and Maria Gutierrez, RD, chronic care coordinator at the Excelsior site with the assistance of Kristi Vargas, patient services specialist, the six week curriculum of two hour classes each week covers topic that include diabetes risks factors complications, nutrition, physical activity, how to use a glucose meter, medications, building partnerships with diabetes health care teams, psychosocial effects of illness, problem-solving strategies and how to access community resources.

“We ensure that the classes are very hands-on so that patients can understand how to incorporate the behavioral changes they need to make to see improvement in their health and lose weight,” said Iran Pont, RD, chronic care coordinator at the Shotwell site.

Each week participants check-in with one another and have their blood pressure as well as weight and height measured to calculate Body Mass Index (BMI) which estimates body fat levels. .   The goal is for patients to lower their A1c and BMI upon completing the program, and ultimately prevent the development of diabetes.  Patients are incentivized to attend each class by receiving a $20 gift certificate to Foods Co, a local grocery store, for each session they attend.  At the completion of the course they receive an additional $25 gift certificate.

As a follow up to the series, patients will continue to be evaluated at 3 months, 6 months and a year to continue to measure the impact of the program.

“The first series was fantastic,” said Iran Pont, RD, chronic care coordinator at MNHC.  “Participants enjoyed the support from one another and the natural accountability that came from the group setting.  We are hoping that the support and the education they received has lasting effects.”

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