A number of staff members in Sun Country Health Region’s Primary Health Clinics wore blue on November 14 to promote diabetes awareness and the importance of early detection. Diabetes is a condition in which results in too much sugar circulating in the body.
“Early screening and diagnosis can alter the path of the disease and reduce the risk of complications such as kidney disease, blindness, lower limb amputation and cardio vascular disease,” said Marga Cugnet, president and CEO of Sun Country. “It can even prevent some of the end-stage complications. Our staff members want to draw attention to these facts.”
“The strength of our program lies in empowering our patients to safely and effectively manage their chronic illness. Our primary health care team approach provides the patient with the best possible plan of care based on their identified needs.”
Diabetes Teams in Sun Country Health Region can include a family doctor, offer assessment, education, customized treatment plans and promote self-management. Sun Country offers certified Diabetes Educators from multiple disciplines such as nursing and pharmacy who facilitate the programs. The program uses the expertise of each professional such as nurses, pharmacists, dietitians and nurse practitioners and doctors as a team, often in a single, co-ordinated appointment to best treat the patient holistically.
Angie Wiebe, Diabetes Educator, said that Sun Country offers individualized approaches with our teams and allow patients the opportunities to ask the questions that matter to them. Proper nutrition is also important to managing diabetes and Sun Country’s programs offer guidance and direction as well as tips and resources.
Information about Sun Country’s Diabetes Teams and programs is available on their website. Patients should talk to their family doctor or nurse practitioner to find out if they are at risk and if a screening test is right for them.
