The Kentuckiana Health Collaborative (KHC) hosted a Community Health Forum December 6 titled, “Positive Deviance: How Communities Can Rapidly Transform Diabetes Care.” The interactive session focused on provider and individual diabetes successes and how those practices could be adopted throughout the community.
KHC Data Scientist Stephanie Clouser unveiled the KHC’s new “5 Priorities for Diabetes” infographic. She level set each priority with data identified by her and Joanna Ng, KHC Practicum Student from University of Louisville School of Public Health and Information Sciences.
Jeri McCullough then told her personal story about how diabetes was threatening the life she knew. Jeri discussed the important lifestyle changes she made after the birth of her grandchild to overcome diabetes. Her transformative journey not only improved her health but also was a catalyst for dramatic improvements by her husband, daughter, and son-in-law. She attributed family support as the powerful ingredient to sustaining these lifestyle changes. Her inspiring story facilitated dialogue about how to support others like Jeri.
Finally, Dr. Diana Han, KHC Co-Chair and Global Medical Director for GE Appliances, a Haier company, moderated a panel of providers who had reached KHC benchmark levels of optimal care for their patients with diabetes. Providers from St. Elizabeth Physicians discussed the role of data, healthcare advocates, social workers, and Comprehensive Primary Care (CPC) payments in their continued success. The three panelists from St. Elizabeth were Jon Minzner, MD, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics; G. Denise Page, RN, BSN, Director of Quality and Compliance; and Rebecca Hammond, RN, Nurse Manager. Megan Barriger, MA, RD, CDE, Program Coordinator and Diabetes Education, represented Norton Community Medical Associates – Barrett. Megan discussed how Norton’s coordination of diabetes education with physician appointments resulted in a nearly 40 percent improvement in attendance rate for diabetes education appointments. The resounding theme of the panel of providers was the need to increase and improve education and support to persons with diabetes.
A special thank you goes to the Kentucky Diabetes Prevention and Control Program and Galen College of Nursing who sponsored this event. Please mark your calendars for our next community forum on June 6, 2016.
