NEWTON, Kan. — November is National Diabetes Month, and Newton Medical Center and the National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP) are “Changing the Way Diabetes Is Treated” by working together to help people better understand how to make the necessary changes in their day-to-day life in order to prevent type 2 diabetes, manage their diabetes to prevent complications and live healthier lives.
People need tools to help them better understand how to make healthy changes in their day-to-day lives. To this end, Newton Medical Center has planned several events:
- Dinner with the Doctor on Nov. 13 will feature Drs. Angela and Troy Holdeman and Certified Diabetes Educator Erin Boccia discussing diabetes prevention.
- Clinic employees in Park City and Valley Center will join with their respective Chambers of Commerce and City leaders to conduct walks in the community: Nov. 7 in Valley Center and Nov. 15 in Park City. The Chambers of Commerce in Park City and Valley Center will receive talks on “Effective Carb Counting to Help Prevent the Onset of Diabetes.”
- The Harvey County Extension Service and Newton Medical Center dietitians will partner to present “About Blood Sugars and Carbohydrates With Diabetes” — a cooking class to be held at the Newton City building on November 27.
- The physicians and staffs of Associates in Women’s Health (Newton office), Cottonwood Pediatrics, Health Ministries of Harvey County and the Diabetes Educators at Newton Medical Center will assist in distributing free printed materials to target at-risk persons in their respective practices.
Diabetes affects nearly 26 million Americans and an estimated 79 million people are at risk for developing the disease. In Kansas, diabetes affects more than 8 percent of the population.
“Even if you know what to do to improve your health, figuring out how to do it and fitting it into your daily routine can be a big challenge,” said Lindsey Elder, diabetes educator at Newton Medical Center. “That’s why it’s important to set goals and make a plan to prevent type 2 diabetes or manage diabetes to prevent complications.”
So how do you get started making these healthy changes? It’s about choosing a goal and working toward it. Making a plan and taking the first step will help you reach your goal. The NDEP’s Make a Plan tool can help you think about what is important to your health and how to break down your goals into small, achievable steps.
Once you have your plan in place, the NDEP can provide you with a number of tools to help you meet your health goal. Whether you are looking to eat healthier, be more active, manage your weight or cope better with stress and emotions, the NDEP offers tools and resources to help you reach your health goals.
Learn more about activities that Newton Medical Center is hosting in observance of National Diabetes Month.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP) is jointly sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with the support of more than 200 partner organizations.