VAPIHCS Receives Grant for Diabetes Education
VA Pacific Islands Health Care System (VAPIHCS) is committed to providing the best care possible to patients across the Pacific Islands.
Diabetes is a disproportionately large problem in the Pacific Islands, so diabetes education has always been part of our programming. However, Nurse Educator Dr. Jessica Taylor-Spurrier and Veteran Health Education Coordinator (VHEC) Elizabeth Kawana were recently awarded a VA grant to bring a new Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support (DSMES) program to VAPIHCS.
“Of the approximately 38 million Americans who have diabetes, our best medical estimates are that around 8.7 million are undiagnosed,” said Taylor-Spurrier. “Undiagnosed diabetes can lead to severe long-term complications, including eye disease and blindness, increased risk of heart disease and stroke, kidney disease, and other serious health problems.”
Veterans may be high risk for developing Type II diabetes is they are overweight, 45 years or older, have a family history of diabetes, and if they are Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islanders. Therefore, it’s important that Veterans in VAPIHCS learn how to spot diabetes, and how to manage it. With more than 97 million Americans having pre-diabetes, education could even help many Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders avoid getting the disease.
“I appreciate the vision of our leadership to prioritize this program,” said Kawana. “Queens does this. VA locations in the mainland do this. Bringing this program to VAPIHCS makes sense.”
Diabetes is the most expensive chronic condition in the United States. Studies put the number spent on diabetes care around $327 billion annually. It’s not just expensive for health care organizations, either. Diabetes can lead to health care costs that are 2.3 times higher for the individual, with 25% of patients rationing insulin due to cost. Diabetes also increases the risk of complications during surgery. For Veterans, the cost is more than money. Diabetes has left so many with serious health complications that limit what they can do.
“This new diabetes education program will help Veterans to have a better understanding of everything from reading food labels to knowing that carbohydrates metabolize into sugar,” Dr. Taylor-Spurrier said. “With that knowledge, it will become easier to make choices about what to eat. We’ll also talk about options for staying active. Staff are already giving education in individual appointments, but it’s often later than what would be optimal. With groups of Veterans being educated sooner, we can improve outcomes.”
The diabetes self-management education program helps people manage blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol. The program has reduced diabetes-related complications and hospitalizations in other areas where it has been implemented. Once the program is fully in place, it should help reduce amputations and diabetes-related kidney disease. Most importantly: It will deliver that education before disaster strikes, giving Veterans power and agency over their own health.
“We’re only doing a single class in this phase of the grant implementation,” Kawada said. “From here, we plan to go to American Samoa and start to build partnerships with the community and teach some face-to-face classes there.
There isn’t a pill to take or an easy solution to diabetes management. That can be very hard for a Veteran who doesn’t want to say no to a lunch plate at gathering or skip rice with their evening meal. The goal of education is to help Veterans see that it’s not about what they are giving up; it’s about what they get. A longer life with their family. The chance to see their grandchildren grow up. And -maybe best of all- feeling better.
“The program is family-focused,” said Dr. Taylor-Spurrier. “That is important because sometimes the Veterans family are also at risk for diabetes, but they have no access to health education programs. When we educate a Veteran with their family, we’re changing the way communities think about food, helping to improve health outcomes for the Veteran and their loved ones.”
Veterans can lower their risk of developing diabetes by quitting tobacco, eating a more pant-based diet, and getting exercise. That doesn’t mean a Veteran must skip the lunch plate and get a salad. It can mean that they simply skip the rice and go for a walk after dinner. It can mean making more time to swim, play with grandchildren, or even go to a gym. Diabetes is not the end of everything a Veteran enjoys. With proper glucose management and education, a diabetic person can eat a bag of chips or a piece of cake if they want to. It’s about finding a balance, and about understanding the overall picture of how to manage their health.
If you would like to learn more about diabetes education, or if you would like to speak to someone about enrolling in VA care, please call VAPIHCS at 1-800-214-1306.