Rangel credits her success to the Community Diabetes Education Program, which is staffed by registered nurses and dietitians, and the only American Diabetes Association-recognized education program in Fresno County. The program provides services to patients who are otherwise unable to receive diabetes self-management education, including bilingual services to Spanish-speaking patients.
Rangel was referred to Rose Reyes, a registered dietician who helped Rangel understand more about what diabetes is, what it can do and how to make small changes in her daily life to overcome her diagnosis — all through 1-on-1 education.
“I’m not sure where I would be if this resource wasn’t available,” Rangel said. “My decision to come here is how I have made a big difference in my life. The way Rose taught and explained various things, it made me realize and understand everything, so I wasn’t so scared.”
Located on the downtown campus of Community Regional Medical Center, the program is part of the community benefit work Community Health System does annually in response to our region’s identified health needs. Obesity and diabetes are some of the top health challenges listed in the regional Community Health Needs Assessment conducted every three years. Last year, the Diabetes Education Program helped more than 4,000 patients learn healthy eating habits and ways to better control their diabetes.
Benefits of a personalized care plan
Rangel said had she not gone to the emergency room at Community Regional for her blurry vision, she would still be in the dark about her diagnosis."I was drinking two or three lattes a day, eating a lot of fast food and consuming large amounts of sugar," she recalled. "When I started taking the classes and learning about diabetes management, it was like stepping into a whole new world."
The Community Diabetes Education Program team works with patients like Rangel to create a custom care plan that fits their specific needs and lifestyle, covering the following areas:
- Diabetes overview
- Nutritional management
- Exercise and activity
- Medication
- Self-monitoring blood glucose
- Acute and chronic complications
- Psychosocial issues
- Setting behavioral goals and resources
With the support and guidance of Reyes, Rangel eliminated sugar from her diet, began practicing portion control and focused on eating more vegetables and leafy greens.
"The program is incredibly empowering," Reyes said. "We teach patients about what diabetes is, how it affects their body and, most importantly, how it can be managed. Once they learn those things, they leave feeling much better, empowered and with more hope.”
1 in 3 Americans have prediabetes and don’t know it
The Centers for Disease Control’s diabetes report card shows that 38 million Americans have the condition. And, about 98 million adults in the U.S. have prediabetes — meaning they are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes, which is preventable with certain lifestyle changes.Testing is key, Reyes said, because people often miss or ignore the symptoms of diabetes, including frequent urination, increased thirst, fatigue and dizziness, eyesight changes and weight loss.
“We encourage people to ask their doctors to check their A1C levels and ask if there is any indication of prediabetes,” she explained. “I call it the yellow light because people can really change things here. And it can be just as simple as walking and tweaking their diet.”
The CDC says those with diabetes have medical costs that are twice as high as those without. Further, diabetes increases risk for other complications, such as:
- Stroke
- Heart disease
- Loss of lower limbs (leg, feet, toes)
- Blindness
Spreading the word of diabetes management
“We want our patients to understand that they can have control of this disease, and that the disease doesn’t have control over them,” said Reyes.And that is exactly the message Rangel wants to spread to others who may be struggling to make a change in their lives. “Set up a goal and just stick to it. Results will come,” said Rangel. “I’m taking what I learned and just going one day at a time, still looking at different types of foods, monitoring myself, and I’m just going to keep on going.”
Learn more about the services offered at the Community Diabetes Education Program or call us at (559) 459-1763.
