Newswise — For the past three years, 46-year-old Abel Espinoza managed his diabetes by going to the emergency room. With no access to a physician, medication or medical supplies, he only received treatment when it became absolutely necessary. But after being referred to a diabetes management program supported by Baylor Health Care System and Central Dallas Ministries, Abel now sees a physician regularly and has access to a community health worker who helps him manage his disease. By simply being educated about his condition, he has successfully lowered his blood sugar from dangerously high levels to the normal range.
Mr. Espinoza is one of the more than 200,000 Dallas residents who suffer from diabetes. Of those, it is estimated that many do not receive all the care they need due to social and economic barriers.
But Baylor Health Care System will soon be able to help many others like Mr. Espinoza. On Wednesday, Baylor was officially awarded a $1.7 million grant from The Merck Company Foundation to enhance and expand diabetes care by developing additional community collaborations throughout Dallas County.
Known as The Diabetes Equity Project, the program is part of The Merck Company Foundation's Alliance to Reduce Disparities in Diabetes Healthcare (www.alliancefordiabetes.org). The goal of the program is to mobilize community-based partners to help close gaps in diabetes care for low-income, underserved diabetics residing in Dallas County. The five-year grant will fund the enhancement of the existing diabetes program at Central Dallas Ministries as well as establish similar programs in four local health clinics: Hope Clinic of Garland, Irving Interfaith Health Center, Healing Hands of Lake Highlands and Baylor's Diabetes Health and Wellness Institute at the Juanita J. Craft Recreation Center.
In Texas, diabetes is the fourth leading cause of death among African Americans and Hispanics with mortality rates from the disease twice as high in these groups. "Due to economic and social disparities, many people have limited access to proper health care. By joining this alliance and expanding the diabetes management program, we can improve access to services that will help patients experiencing health disparities live healthier lives," says James Walton, D.O., vice president of health equity and chief equity officer, Baylor Health Care System. "We want to make sure that our neighbors can receive the care they need to help manage their diabetes."
The Diabetes Equity Project consists of three components: the implementation of a disease management program where patients can receive education about their disease and learn self-care practices; a physician development series to enhance doctor-patient communication and cultural competency; and a health system intervention consisting of a diabetes management software application to help monitor patients' participation in the program and their outcomes.
"The Diabetes Equity Project will leverage Baylor's commitment to improve equity of health care access, health care delivery and health outcomes for these patients," adds Dr. Walton. "This grant will allow us to not only educate patients and physicians in the program, but actually monitor and track their progress and success."
The program is expected to officially launch in August of this year. Dr. Walton anticipates that the program will initially serve around 1,000 diabetics in Dallas County within the first year.
Baylor Health Care System, a not-for-profit health care provider based in North Texas, is a growing network of hospitals, primary care and specialty care centers, rehabilitation clinics, senior health centers, and affiliated ambulatory surgery centers. An employer of more than 16,000 people, Baylor ranks as one of the largest private-sector employers in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. Founded as a Christian ministry of healing, Baylor exists to serve all people through exemplary health care, education, research and community service. For fiscal year 2008, Baylor Health Care System reported $429.5 million in community benefits to the Department of State Health Services.
For more information about Baylor Health Care System call 1-800-4BAYLOR or visit www.BaylorHealth.com
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