Montana Diabetes Program Updates
Cardiovascular guide
The American College of Cardiology has a great handout about cardiovascular risks and care in people with diabetes. Broken down into six steps, it's an easy guide to follow and work into patient care practices.
Telemedicine Opportunity
The Montana Medical Association is currently recruiting sites interested in incorporating telemedicine into their practice. Providing funding and guidance, the MMA will help implement, optimize, and sustain the telehealth project. For more information please email Jean Branscum with the MMA.
Care Team Resilience, Patient Engagement
Join Mountain-Pacific's collaborative event December 9th at 4:00. Learn strategies to stay present, compassionate, and recognize your own needs to have optimal patient care and engagement. Register today!
Diabetes Care and Education
Reasons to Celebrate
The discovery of insulin 100 years ago was one of the biggest medical breakthroughs of the 20th century. This lifesaving medication transformed diabetes from a death sentence into a manageable condition. There’s still a lot of work to be done, but millions of lives have been saved, and many more improved with this transformative discovery.
If you ever get the opportunity to read “The Discovery of Insulin” by Michael Bliss, it’s truly an insightful tale of this amazing discovery! As Bliss says in his book,
“With insulin, the stone was rolled away, and diabetes became a matter of life, not death.”
November is National Diabetes Month, and an opportunity to come together and bring attention to diabetes and prediabetes. This November, we celebrated the individuals and work being done to reduce the burden of diabetes in communities across the state.
We extend our very deep gratitude to those who work each day to help people with diabetes and prediabetes live their best and healthiest lives.
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At the Montana Diabetes Program’s annual diabetes professional conference in October, the inaugural “Organizational Leadership Award in Diabetes Care” was presented to St Vincent’s (SCL Health, Billings, MT), to recognize their significant contributions to improving the quality of life for individuals who are living with diabetes. St Vincent’s Diabetes Center has been providing multidisciplinary diabetes care and self-management education and support to thousands of people with diabetes for 50 years! Congratulations on this outstanding achievement!
Diabetes Prevention Program
Tips for the Holidays
On the heels of World Diabetes Day and National Diabetes Month come the fall and winter holidays. Holiday celebrations can make it difficult for people to eat healthy, stay physically active, and manage stress – habits that are particularly important for people with diabetes. Many people also travel during the holidays, which may disrupt their normal routines. Here are some helpful tips for people with or at risk for developing diabetes on eating well and traveling with diabetes during the holiday season, as well as tips for managing diabetes and stress.
More tips for living with diabetes and preventing type 2 diabetes can be found on CDC’s Features and Spotlights.
Glad Tidings and Good Health (Care)
The end of the calendar year also brings flu season for the northern hemisphere. This is the same time period before many Americans’ health insurance policies reset and health insurance open enrollment occurs in most states – making it a great time to remember the importance of routine medical appointments for people managing diabetes and working to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes.
 Diabetes requires regular medical care to prevent complications. People with diabetes are also at higher risk for COVID-19 complications. A recent CDC study shows that compared with older adults, younger adults with diabetes (aged 18-29 years) were more likely to report missing routine medical care and less likely to report plans to get a COVID-19 vaccine. The article highlights the importance of access to diabetes care for adults with diabetes and public health messages that emphasize diabetes management and COVID-19 prevention, including vaccination, especially for younger adults.
Quality Improvement
As the holidays approach, many begin to feel pressure and stress the season may bring. The American Psychological Association found around 40% of people feel stressed or very stressed by the holidays.
Financial stress is one leading cause. Another reason is the prolonged, increased demand to multitask.
Consider applying some quality improvement ideas to your holiday season:
Plan personal time: give your self some planned time in the day for a break, decide which holiday festivities you can skip and which you should attend.
Do follow your plans. Take those breaks and stick to your planned schedule.
Study how you are feeling. Are you tired, overwhelmed, or feeling great?
Act on those feelings. Schedule extra break time or amp up the celebrations if you feel up to it.
Enjoy this holiday season and don't forget to plan your health first.
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