05 Nov 2017 Conway mayor signs proclamation observing National Diabetes Month

Posted at 12:38 PMh in News by

Conway Mayor Bart Castleberry has signed a proclamation declaring November as National Diabetes Month and Tuesday, Nov. 14, as World Diabetes Day in the City of Conway.

Castleberry, who has had the disease for 47 years, hopes to spread citywide awareness of diabetes and its risk factors. He is also recognizing local efforts to improve the care of people with diabetes. On hand for the proclamation signing were health care professionals in Conway who are helping people cope with diabetes:

 

  • The staff of the Conway Regional Diabetes Self Education Management Training
  • Mallory Lefler, a personal trainer at the Conway Regional Health and Fitness Center who teaches classes specifically for people who are trying to manage their diabetes.
  • Dr. William Freeman, MD, medical director of the Conway Regional Wound Healing Center. The majority of patients with hard to heal wounds have diabetes.

 

A few stats:

 

  • In 2015, 30.3 million Americans, or 9.4 percent of the population, had diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association. 
  • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) project that more than one in three people in the United States have prediabetes, about 86 million people. Nine out of 10 of those people do not know they have it. People with prediabetes are at increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes and for heart disease and stroke. 
  • Diabetes remains the seventh leading cause of death in the United States.
  • In January, Medicare will begin covering prediabetes treatment provided by CDC recognized diabetes prevention programs as thenation rushes to slow the increase in diabetes cases, according to Rhonda Tosh, coordinator of the Conway Regional Diabetes Self Education Management Training. Medicare is the insurance standard bearer so other insurers are likely to follow.
  • In 2016, Conway Regional became the first diabetes management program in Arkansas to begin a two-year long certification process required by the CDC for official diabetes prevention program status.