New Direction in Diabetes Program Makes Strides to Improve Health of Georgians   
 
Dwana "Dee" Calhoun, M.S., C.H.E.S., (center) Diabetes Prevention and Control Program Manager, discusses the program with Amanda Dang (left) and Erika Lee (right) interns with the Diabetes Prevention and Control Program and/or Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program.
As the new Diabetes Prevention and Control Program (DPCP) Manager for the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH), I understand the importance of ensuring that Georgia responds to the need to continuously educate and address diabetes throughout Georgia - for children and adults.  As research continues to evolve, we are excited about learning more about the diabetes and its complications in order to reduce our risks.
 
The mission of DPCP is to reduce diabetes prevalence, disability and severe diabetes-related complications including: heart disease, kidney disease, lower extremity amputations and blindness.  DPCP accomplishes its work by engaging partners that promote and support evidence-based strategies resulting in environmental and health systems changes to address diabetes prevention, as well as reduce risks associated with severe and debilitating diabetes complications.

DPCP is part of national effort by the CDC Division of Diabetes Translation and is focused on the following statewide efforts to improve the health of Georgians: 
  • Increasing access to Diabetes Self-Management Education (DSME) programs including the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) Accredited DSME programs and American Diabetes Association recognized diabetes education programs to reduce diabetes-related complications among Georgians with diagnosed diabetes.
  • Linking vulnerable population groups such as Georgia women with gestational diabetes to diabetes prevention programs and tobacco cessation services to reduce the onset of Type 2 diabetes and diabetes-related complications.
  • Collaborating with health system partners servicing high-risk population groups to improve health outcomes and corresponding quality of care delivered to Georgians with diagnosed diabetes by focusing on ABCS control: Hemoglobin A1c (glucose or blood sugar control), blood pressure and cholesterol control as well as smoking cessation.
  • Promoting the availability of Diabetes Prevention Programs (DPP) such as the National Diabetes Prevention Program and YMCA Diabetes Prevention Programs targeting Georgians with prediabetes (also known as borderline diabetes) as well as Georgians at "high" risk for its development (i.e. overweight or obese status, high blood pressure or cholesterol levels, history of gestational diabetes, family history of diabetes).  
It is through these ongoing efforts that we will be able to improve the health of all Georgians and reduce the onset or severity of complications among Georgians with diabetes.  

 

-Story by Dwana "Dee" Calhoun, MS, CHES, Program Manager, Diabetes Prevention & Control Program, DPH  

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