Mercy earns recognition for diabetes prevention, a growing focus in region

Mercy Northwest Arkansas will begin accepting Medicare coverage for a diabetes prevention program, the system announced earlier this month.

Mercy has offered the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention program for more than a year. The program received recognition in June from the centers after helping participants lose several pounds each and stay active more than two hours longer a week than before. The results mean the program can keep going, Mercy officials said.

Diabetes prevention and management groups

Mercy Northwest Arkansas

• Diabetes prevention program with small groups who meet 26 times over a year at various locations and times to get and share advice and experiences. Contact: Ashton Caton, (479) 338-4135.

Northwest Health

• Get Your Plate Into Shape diabetic nutrition class monthly at Siloam Springs Regional Hospital; next event is Tuesday at noon; limited to around 30 participants.

• Diabetes support group second Tuesday of the month from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at Jones Clinic in Springdale. Contact for group: (479) 757-3667 or epowell@nw-health.

Washington Regional Medical Center

• Offers outpatient diabetes and prediabetes self-management education program. Contact for education: (479) 404-1163.

• Diabetes support group first Thursday every other month from April through October from noon to 1 p.m. at William L. Bradley Medical Plaza. Contact for group: (479) 404-1160.

Source: Staff report

Diabetes affects the body's ability to control its blood sugar levels, which can lead to nerve or kidney damage and other harm throughout the body over time, according to the American Diabetes Association. The group estimates half of all Americans 65 and older are prediabetic and have blood sugar that's starting to rise to concerning levels.

Diabetes is unavoidable for some, but risk factors like being overweight and a lack of physical activity are contributing factors for others, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Mercy and other local health care systems have stepped in with education programs, support groups and other approaches to help.

The prevention program at Mercy works with groups of around a dozen participants who regularly gather at several Mercy locations for a year to learn ways to prevent the disease; track their activity and eating; set goals; and share their experiences. Classes last about an hour.

"It's advice to follow, but the best part is you learn from your group," said Ashton Caton, Mercy's community wellness program manager. The prevention program also doesn't impose a strict diet, but rather looks for tweaks to eating and activity habits that can add up over time to make a worthwhile difference, such as taking stairs or parking farther from the grocery store entrance.

"We let people make the decisions that fit for them where they are," Caton said.

Randy Lamp was part of a class that met for the final time Wednesday. He said he lost around 20 pounds and lowered his blood sugar to around normal levels through the program's course by making such changes as occasionally substituting cauliflower for pasta at dinner and walking much more. His mother and brother both died from diabetes complications.

"This has been a godsend for me," Lamp said, adding the social aspect helped bring the good results. His wife took part with him, and he felt he could talk with other participants in a way he might not with regular friends.

"It's a free exchange," he said.

Other participants, most of them seniors, said they've been examples for friends and family members and often prepare meals differently than before. Mercy staff members provided vegetable and fruit trays and cookies to celebrate the program's completion, and while many dug into the fruits and veggies, they hardly touched the cookies.

"I'm more in control, I think, now," said James Overstreet, who lost around 10 pounds and quit drinking alcohol during the program.

Completion of the program can halve the risk for developing diabetes later in life, according to a Mercy release. Caton said participation costs $36 a month with assistance available if needed.

Other diabetes programs around Northwest Arkansas include support groups for people with the disease each month at Northwest Health and every other month at Washington Regional Medical Center, spokeswomen said.

The two systems don't have diabetes prevention groups, but offer education for prediabetic patients. Northwest's Siloam Springs Regional Hospital also offers a monthly "Get Your Plate Into Shape" class for recipes and food preparation tips.

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences has worked with Marshall Island pastors, community leaders and residents for years to try to drive down the exceptionally high rate of diabetes among that group. Researchers there have said they've found more success by taking a social approach, such as by involving someone's whole household or church, to encourage people to make lifestyle changes and stick to them.

The Centers for Disease Control lists Mercy as the only provider of its diabetes prevention program, but several others around the state also take part.

Susan Russell, assistant director of the Patrick Henry Hays Senior Citizens Center in North Little Rock, said around two dozen people came to the classes until they wrapped up in the past month. Nurses with Baptist Health system still come by at least monthly to check in on participants.

"You can see they've lost weight," she said, adding many of the center's visitors have friends who've lost eyesight or appendages because of diabetes.

"It's a senior problem."

NW News on 08/12/2018

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