Join Atrium Health Navicent in Recognizing American Diabetes Month
Of the 37.3 Americans with diabetes, 1 in 5 don’t know they have it
The community is invited to join Atrium Health Navicent in recognizing American Diabetes Month by learning about the disease and each individual assessing their personal risk. Diabetes, a condition affecting an estimated 537 million people worldwide, is a metabolic disease in which the body is unable to produce enough insulin to regulate glucose levels in the bloodstream. Many cases of diabetes go undiagnosed. If left untreated, diabetes can lead to serious and life-threatening conditions including blindness, heart attack, stroke, kidney disease and amputation. It is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 37.3 million Americans have diabetes, and 1 in 5 of them don’t know they have it. About 96 million U.S. adults have prediabetes, and in the last 20 years, the number of adults diagnosed with diabetes has more than doubled as the American population has aged and become more overweight or obese.
In central Georgia, 17.2 percent of adults have reported being diagnosed with diabetes.
“It’s important to know whether you have diabetes so you can manage the disease appropriately and avoid serious and life-threatening complications that may occur if the disease goes untreated,” said Carol Babcock, Atrium Health Navicent assistant vice president for Healthy Communities and Virtual Health. “Fortunately, with education and support, individuals diagnosed with diabetes can life full, healthy lives while managing their condition.”
Atrium Health Navicent provides support for individuals diagnosed with diabetes through Diabetes Healthways and the Healthy Communities Diabetes Readmission Program. Participants in both programs are offered education about diabetes management and ongoing support.
The Diabetes Readmission Program matches patients identified as being at high-risk for readmission to the hospital with a team of nurses, social workers and community health workers who provide individual case management while also identifying and bridging barriers to care delivery. Patients may also be referred to the Food as Medicine Market, which operates not just as a food pantry, but as a Food Farmacy, where individuals facing food insecurity can also receive inperson nutrition advice. For more information about how Diabetes Healthways can help you improve management of diabetes, call 478-633-1531.
About Atrium Health Navicent
Atrium Health Navicent is the leading provider of healthcare in central and south Georgia and is committed to its mission of elevating health and wellbeing through compassionate care. Atrium Health Navicent provides high-quality, personalized care in 53 specialties at more than 50 facilities throughout the region. As part of the largest, integrated, nonprofit health system in the Southeast, it is also able to tap into some of the nation’s leading medical experts and specialists with Atrium Health, allowing it to provide the best care close to home – including advanced innovations in virtual medicine and care. Throughout its 125-year history in the community, Atrium Health Navicent has remained dedicated to enhancing health and wellness for individuals throughout the region through nationally recognized quality care, community health initiatives and collaborative partnerships. It is also one of the leading teaching hospitals in the region, helping to ensure viability for rural health care for the next generation. For more information, please visit www.NavicentHealth.org.