Momentum for Diabetes@Work

The Coalition just set an enrollment record for the Diabetes@Work program that is getting started for the City of St. Louis employees.  29 have registered.  This is at capacity… if not a little over.  Joan McGinnis is leading the onsite program which begins in a few weeks.

A Sold-out Crowd Attends First Leadership Institute of 2009

Last weekend the St. Louis Diabetes Coalition hosted the Diabetes Leadership Institute at the Forest Park Golf Course Clubhouse. The sold-out Saturday event was attended by 34 participants from across the St. Louis area.  A little bit of advertising in two local newspapers went a long way… and some promotional assistance by the City of St. Louis Human Resources Dept brought in 6 City employees.  Side note: The City of St. Louis has been a long-time support of the Coalition’s Diabetes@ Work program.  The participants enjoyed a hands-on learning program about taking control of diabetes… and helping others do the same too. Garry Tobin, MD, Joan McGinnis, MSN, CDE, Denise Strehlow, RD, MPH, MSW and Eric S Armbrecht, PhD led the group sessions. The program was a huge success with the help of Tish Singer who assured all the details were in order. Special thanks go out to Roche Accu-check who provided many meters for the glcuose monitoring demonstration. Comments, questions and interactions among participants clearly showed how valuable programs like the Diabetes Leadership Institute are in the community. Plans are underway for the 4 more Diabetes Leadership Institute programs in 2009.  The Coalition is looking for a few sponsors… at very reasonable rates. Hint, hint.

Recap Our History: 1998 to 2008

There was a slide show featuring the major milestones and accomplishments of the St. Louis Diabetes Coalition at the 10th Anniversary Meeting on Dec 4.  In response to a couple requests and for the sake of posterity, the slides are being distributed via Diabetes Collaboratory.  The St. Louis Diabetes Coalition has accomplished more than what is presented therein… especially in terms of connecting people who have a strong commitment, personally and professionally, to improve diabetes awareness, education and quality of care across the region. Download the file here: sldc-history-highlight-reel-recap-v2.  Thanks for 10 great years!

Diabetes@Work Results: Working Well for Participants

The St. Louis Diabetes Coalition released a report on the findings from its partnership with member companies of the St. Louis Area Business Health Coalition to implement Diabetes@Work last year (2007).  The evaluation report, authored by Eric Armbrecht, PhD and Joan McGinnis, MSN, CDE, describes implementation and clinical outcomes for 37 active participants at 4 worksites: Ameren, Bryan Cave, City of St. Louis, and Smurfit Stone.  Get the report here: Diabetes At Work Results 2007 Worksites.  Consistent with other studies of Diabetes@Work, average A1C improved by about 1 percentage point from baseline to 3-month and 6-month follow-up.  One of the most impressive results: 

Seventy percent (70%) of participants had hypertension (BP > 130/80) at baseline. Among participants with baseline and follow-up data for blood pressure (n=27), the proportion of participants with hypertension fell from 70% to 25% at follow-up (p = 0.001).

 

 

 

Free Legal Services Available for Non-profit Orgs

Legal assistance is available to nonprofit organizations through Washington University’s Law School Clinical Program.  Under the director of Peter Ruger, an experienced nonprofit attorney, law students provide guidance on nonprofit issues and projects ranging from incorporation to dissolution, including operational issues confronting nonprofits. There is no charge for this service.  If you would like more information about the Clinic, or would like to submit a project, please contact Peter directly at 314.935.8815 or pruger@wulaw.wustl.edu.

10th Anniversary Meeting Success

Thank you to all who were able to attend the 10th Anniversary Meeting of the St. Louis Diabetes Coalition.  More than 60 people participated in the strategic planning process and enjoyed a provactive presentation by economist and author Dr. Eric Finkelstein.  We have a new persepctive on the obesity epidemic in the United States… and the resulting epidemic of Type 2 diabetes.  The Coalition appreciates the generous support of our Presenting Sponsors: Accu-Check (Roche), Merck, Novartis, and sanof-aventis.  What a way to start our 11th year of service as a leading community health organization in the St. Louis region!

Kitchen Table Talk with Sen. McCaskill on Dec 17

I am forwarding an invitation that the St. Louis Diabetes Coalition received from our junior US Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) yesterday… She wrote:

Right now, as our nation struggles amidst these tough times, it is more important than ever to hear from constituents and learn how I can help. For this reason, I will be hosting a Kitchen Table Talk in your area on Wednesday, December 17, 2008 from 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM in the Performing Arts Theater at Saint Louis Community College – Forest Park which is located on 5600 Oakland Avenue in St. Louis.. These meetings are so important to me, as I work hard everyday to represent Missouri’s best interests. There is no need to RSVP; please feel free to stop by, meet with me and my staff, and express your thoughts and concerns. Please see the attached press release if you have any questions, or contact my St. Louis Regional Office at (314) 367-1364.

Lecture 1/14/2009: Culturally Competent Care

HOLD THE DATE:  Joseph R. Betancourt, MD, MPH  will be presenting Culturally Competent Care:  A Critical Approach in Health Care on January 14, 2009 at 5:30PM at the Eric P Newman Center at WashU
School of Med.  His talk will describe the impact of culturally competent care on the clinical encounter and continuum of  cultural competence.  This event is co-sponsored by Merck & Co., Inc. and The Center for Diversity and Cultural Competence at Barnes Jewish Hospital.  You can RSVP to Melanie Williams, RN
via Melanie_Williams@Merck.com or 1-800-737-2088  ID# 94954.  

About the Speaker: Dr. Joseph Betancourt is Director of The Disparities Solutions Center and Senior Scientist at the Institute for Health Policy at Massachusetts General Hospital.  Dr. Betancourt’s primary interests include cross-cultural medicine, minority recruitment into the health professions, and minority health/health policy research. Dr. Betancourt has served on several Institute of Medicine committees, including those that produced Unequal Treatment: Confronting acial/Ethnic Disparities in Health Care, Guidance for a National Health Care Disparities Report, and In the Nation’s Compelling Interest: Ensuring Diversity in the Health Care Workforce. He also sat on the Physicians for Human Rights Blue Ribbon Panel on Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Health.

St. Louis Beacon Features Article on Diabetes Epidemic

The St. Louis Beacon, an online-only publication, featured an article about the Type 2 diabetes epidemic.  The article ran over the summer.. Sorry for the delay.  Click here to read the article. Oh… if you are not familar with the Beacon… reading this article is a good way to get acquainted.  You will find the reporting to be fresh, in-depth and in-sightful.

Reminder: RSVP, ASAP – 10th Anniversary Meeting of the St. Louis Diabetes Coalition

It’s just a few days before the 10th Anniversary Meeting of the St. Louis Diabetes Coalition (Thursday, Dec 4)  at the newly-remodeled Renaissance St. Louis Hotel Airport.  Author and economist Dr. Eric Finkelstein will be delivering a thought-provoking presentation based on his 2008 book: The Fattening of America : How the economy makes us fat, if it matters, and what to do about it.  You will not want to miss his talk… especially while enjoying a fine meal.  The meeting will also include an open discussion about the future of the Diabetes Coalition.  Space is limited.  No fee, but reservations are required.  Register today at www.diabetescoalition.org.  You can download an official invitation right here: SLDC Meeting Invite Dec 4 2008.  If you do not have time to logon and register, just leave a voicemail message at 314-446-6485.  We need your RSVP… as we need a pretty accurate headcount for dinner.