OHIO’s Diabetes Institute

The Appalachian region might be known for healthy native foods such as pawpaws, ramps and morel mushrooms, but it’s now home to an endemic problem for people living on the margin of economic instability and healthy eating: diabetes.

“Among adults aged 45 to 64, about 1 in 5 of those living in distressed [Appalachian] counties had diabetes, compared to only 1 in 8 of those living in non-Appalachian counties,” according to a 2010 study reported by the Centers for Disease Control’s Appalachian Diabetes Control and Translation Project.

Ohio University has been collaboratively addressing this disease since 2012, when the Diabetes Institute was formed to provide a comprehensive approach that ranges from patient care and community health programs to training for health care professionals and a large research portfolio.

“We have an amazing story to tell in terms of our work training health professionals to serve all over the state and the region, especially in rural communities that need care for diabetes,” said OHIO President Lori Stewart Gonzalez.

The frontline impact of the Diabetes Institute starts with services and resources aimed at diabetes prevention and management delivered to southeastern Ohio communities through the Heritage Community Clinic, which provides free diabetes care—such as blood tests, foot exams, eye screenings and education—to qualifying low-income, uninsured and underinsured patients with diabetes aged 18 to 64 through a monthly Diabetes Clinic.

The Diabetes Institute also provides direct support through several community health programs, including:

• Confidential peer support from the Diabetes Community Partners program.
• The Prevent T2 program, part of the CDC’s National Diabetes Prevention Program, is led by a lifestyle coach who provides resources and education to make lifestyle changes that will help avoid a Type 2 diabetes diagnosis.
• “Diabetes & Me” self-management education classes, which cover topics such as healthy eating, exercise, medication management, blood glucose monitoring, preventing secondary complications and stress management.
• A bimonthly diabetes support group for those with diabetes or prediabetes.
• The Student Diabetes Navigator program, which helps Athens County schoolchildren address barriers to healthy eating and exercise.
• CAT Camp, a summer day camp for southeastern Ohio youth with Type 1 diabetes, designed to foster an inclusive environment where kids won’t feel singled out when they need to manage their blood sugar.

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The Institute also employs a certified diabetes care and education specialist, who is also a registered dietitian and a certified insulin pump trainer. The specialist provides medical nutrition therapy to adults and children for a variety of conditions, including gestational diabetes, weight management, food allergies and more.

“We’re having a positive impact,” said Tracy Shaub, DO ’92, dean of the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine’s Athens campus. “By partnering with others who also have boots on the ground, we’re able to leverage everyone’s knowledge and better direct our combined resources so we can have a bigger impact on the health of the folks in those communities.”

Diabetes care management also challenges practitioners across health professions. That’s why the College of Health Sciences and Professions makes an interdisciplinary Diabetes Certificate available to help both undergraduate and graduate students understand the multifaceted and complex condition of diabetes. To help working professionals keep up with the latest developments in diabetes research, OHIO faculty provide training and continuing education resources for diabetes educators in the region through the Diabetes Coalition.

Of course, the best community care and management services can’t make up for the fact that there currently is no cure for Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. That’s why the number of faculty researchers at the Diabetes Institute has continued to grow as the University has committed to remaining at the forefront of scientific discovery and innovative academic programs. (See our story about internationally known diabetes researcher John Kopchick.) This research, paired with community outreach, patient care and caregiver education services, work together to fulfill the Institute’s mission to improve quality of life for those affected by diabetes in the region.

This story originally appeared in The Heart of Health: Showcasing Ohio University’s Leadership in Health Education.

Feature photo: Youth with Type 1 diabetes participate in CAT Camp, a summer day camp. Photo by Ben Wirtz Siegel, BSVC ’02