News @ MCRHC
August 20, 2009
LOCAL HOSPITAL PART OF GRANT TO HELP WITH PRE-DIABETES
Mitchell County Regional Health Center, along with seven other rural hospitals in the Mercy North Iowa network is the recipient of grant funds through the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Office of Rural Health Policy. The grant monies will be used to identify and educate adults and children who have pre-diabetes.
Before people develop type 2 diabetes, they almost always have pre-diabetes. Pre-diabetes is a condition where blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes.
Research has shown that if you take action to control your blood sugar when you have pre-diabetes, you can delay or prevent type 2 diabetes from ever developing. Lori Gross, Diabetes Educator at Mitchell County Regional Health Center commented, “With the grant funds available we will be screening people of all ages for blood sugar levels which indicate they have pre-diabetes. Those people whose blood sugar meets the definition of pre-diabetes will be invited to attend a free series of four learning sessions. At the sessions, hands on activities will help them learn how to delay or prevent getting Type 2 diabetes.
A family approach to the free education is planned, because persons who have a close relative with Type 2 diabetes are at risk for the disease. Screenings for fasting blood sugar levels will begin this fall in Osage, Riceville, St. Ansgar and Stacyville. Watch area newspapers for the dates and location of the free screenings for pre-diabetes in Mitchell County.