Transforming health: A patient's success story

Our programs have a long lasting impact on our patients! 

Take a look at the following case that one of our patients shared:

This patient was a newly diagnosed Diabetic patient that enrolled into the Diabetes and Hypertension Care Programs in July of 2023. Her starting A1C on 7/21/23 was 11.4% and on 8/7/24 it was 5.4%. She achieved control.

Additionally, in her journey, she shares:

“Although belonging to a family of diabetics and familiarity with others managing high blood pressure should have prepared me for my own diagnosis, it did not.  Feeling overwhelmed and unsure about how to address my conditions best, I appreciated that there were resources available in the form of diabetes education sessions with nurse educator Katherine (Kat) Hammond. Kat provided me with valuable information about diabetes and hypertension in general and worked with me on management strategies. Strategies included consultations with a nutritionist; achievable goal-setting for diet, exercise, and stress management; and approaches to wellness.  

The regularly scheduled sessions with my nurse educator provided moments of accountability and support, helping me keep on track in meeting goals and giving me a sense of reassurance as I navigate my way through figuring out what works or isn't successful for me. Regularly logging my glucose and blood pressure readings, and reviewing them with Kat, was also a useful strategy in revealing patterns and increasing awareness.  Our conversations helped clarify for me how to make adjustments and decisions to keep things moving in the right direction for lowering my numbers.  

Kat's guidance in setting specific and measurable goals that are achievable ("doable") without being overwhelming helped set forth a path that I could use to easily check my progress. Being achievable, these also supported my motivation ... I felt I could actually accomplish what we talked about and had the tools to take the necessary steps. Kat is a great cheerleader, providing reassurance and recognition (and Kleenex) throughout this journey.  

The free samples and coupons for diabetic care supplies are also appreciated as they give me options to test to help me determine what works best for my management style and needs. Supplies are costly, and it's important to have the fullest picture of how the materials work or how supplements taste before deeper investment. Kat provided further insights in our discussions so that I felt I had the best information to make decisions.

Overall, I am appreciative of Kat and the resources she brought to the table with the diabetes education sessions over the first year of my diagnosis.  These have been very useful in preparing me to continue managing my diabetes and high blood pressure.  My numbers are significantly lower, and I have every reason to believe I will continue to be successful in keeping on this path.”