Pelham Medical Center – Impact Diabetes

What is it?

Impact Diabetes is a program implemented at Senior Action, a senior center in Greenville, S.C., that is funded by Pelham Medical Center. Impact Diabetes provides a comprehensive diabetes wellness program for seniors living in Greenville County who are members of Senior Action. The goal of Impact Diabetes is to improve the health of Greenville’s senior population by providing diabetes self-management and prevention education. Through this partnership, Pelham Medical Center has provided a Certified Diabetes Educator on-site at Senior Action two days per week. The Impact Diabetes Program has three areas of focus: a seven-week diabetes management core course; a weekly drop-in diabetes informational session covering topics such as holiday eating, what to do when you are sick, exercising, etc.; and one-on-one diabetic counseling/goal setting sessions.

Who is it for?

Residents of Greenville County who are members of Senior Action.

Why do they do it?

Approximately 60 percent of the 4,000+ Senior Action participants have pre-diabetes or diabetes. Before Pelham Medical Center was involved, there were no recurring educational classes focused on diabetes offered at Senior Action. Currently, South Carolina has one of the highest diabetes rates in the country, with about 12 percent of the population being diagnosed with diabetes.

Impact

On average, there have been 15 participants in each core educational class session offerings and an average of 16 participants in each of the weekly workshop sessions. Pre- and post- Impact Diabetes participants’ heights and weights are tracked. On average, attendees lost 3.9 pounds over the course of the seven-week core class. Pre- and post- diabetes knowledge assessments showed that 92 percent of participants had gained an increased knowledge of diabetes in the post-assessment. In addition, four to six individuals are counseled independently each week by the Certified Diabetes Educator on topics of their choice.

Contact: Toni Conner, B.S.N., R.N.
Manager, Community Outreach
Telephone: 864-849-9131
Email: tconner@srhs.com