Living with Diabetes program offers education, support and medication discounts

The Center for Healthy Living will offer a new Living with Diabetes program beginning Sept. 2.

The program will provide education and support to help people with diabetes effectively manage their condition. Those who maintain participation in the program will have the added advantage of discounts on their diabetes medications throughout 2015.

The program is available at no charge to West Lafayette faculty, staff and dependents covered on a Purdue medical plan.

Anyone interested in the program should call the Center for Healthy Living at 49-45422 to enroll by Aug. 29.

"Effective management of diabetes begins with education and the advice of your health care provider," says Dr. Michael Summers of the Center for Healthy Living. According to Summers, diabetes is a disease affecting more Americans now than ever before.

"Diabetes and elevated blood sugars, if left untreated, will cause kidney damage, loss of vision, increased heart disease and poor circulation," Summers says. "It's extremely important to keep our blood sugars under control to prevent these complications."

The new program provides the expert services of the center's health care professionals, including:

* A registered nurse (RN) who is a certified health and wellness coach.
* A pharmacist who is specially trained in medication therapy management (MTM).
* A registered dietitian (RD) who will assist with individualized meal planning.

In addition to these clinical specialists, participants will meet providers in the fields of optometry, endocrinology and podiatry. 

Diabetic meal planning, carbohydrate counting and physical activity will be emphasized. Participants may invite a supportive family member or friend to attend the program with them.

The program begins Sept. 2 and consists of a pre-assessment, a post-assessment, a 12-week class that meets once a week, and ongoing health coaching and pharmacist visits tailored to the participant's needs.

Participants will enroll for one of the following class meeting times. Classes will run Sept. 29-Jan. 5 and will not meet the weeks of Nov. 24 and Dec. 22 due to Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

* Mondays, noon-1 p.m. Purdue Memorial Union
* Mondays, 2-3 p.m. Purdue Memorial Union
* Thursdays, 8-9 a.m., Recreational Sports Center
* Thursdays, noon-1 p.m., Recreational Sports Center

Each class meeting time is limited to 20 participants. Purdue employees who work during the program's meeting and appointment times may participate in paid status and don't need to take sick leave or vacation.

Following registration, participants will pick up a program packet from the Center for Healthy Living and will schedule their initial appointments with the pharmacist and the RN-health coach.

The results of a lipid panel test and an A1C test done within the past 12 months will be needed before meeting with the pharmacist and the coach. Participants needing these tests may schedule an appointment with a provider at the Center for Healthy Living.

Participants will be eligible for discounts on their diabetes medications when they do the following:

* Complete the pre-assessment and the post-assessment.
* Attend 11 of the 12 class meetings, including the required Week 1 meeting.
* Continue to meet with the RN-health coach and the MTM pharmacist after finishing the 12-week class. The frequency of the meetings will depend on the participant's progress toward attaining an A1C level at or below 7.

Medicine discounts will begin the week of Oct. 13, after the participant has completed two weeks of meetings.

Details about the Living with Diabetes program are available at the Center for Healthy Living website at www.purdue.edu/hr/CHL/livingWithDiabetes.html. Questions about the program should be directed to Kamal Singh, the center's MTM pharmacist, at 49-66833.