Originally published April 2, 2012
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.
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).