WAHIAWĀ, Hawai‘i – Wahiawā Center for Community Health (Wahiawā Health), a federally qualified health center, offers a year-long Diabetes Prevention Program designed to raise awareness of prediabetes and encourage lifestyle changes proven to prevent or delay Type 2 Diabetes in adults with prediabetes. Throughout the year, a certified lifestyle and wellness coach assists participants by working through interactive modules to promote weight loss, increase activity, manage stress, and improve overall health.
The National Diabetes Prevention Program is a partnership of public and private organizations working to prevent or delay Type 2 Diabetes. As an accredited program, Wahiawā Health makes it easier for people at risk for Type 2 Diabetes to participate in evidence-based lifestyle change programs.
“The Diabetes Prevention Program is offered as part of our new Diabetes Specialty Center that aims to address uncontrolled diabetes in the community,” said Rachel Randall, PharmD, BCPS, BC-ADM, diabetes self-management education and support program coordinator and educator. “For people with prediabetes, participating in the Diabetes Prevention Program can help reverse the diagnosis and prevent Type 2 Diabetes.”
Prediabetes means a patient has a higher-than-normal blood sugar level, but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. There are typically no signs or symptoms associated with prediabetes. Several factors associated with higher risk for prediabetes include being overweight, inactivity, age, diet, gestational diabetes and family history.
The first 6-months of the program focus on helping participants learn to:
- Eat healthy without giving up all the foods they love
- Add physical activity into their busy schedules
- Deal with stress
- Cope with challenges that can derail their hard work—like how to choose healthy food when eating out
- Get back on track if they stray from their plan—because everyone slips now and then
At the 6-month mark, goals of the Diabetes Prevention Program are:
- Lose at least 5 to 7% of your starting weight
- Get at least 150 minutes of physical activity each week
During the second half of the program, participants build on the skills they’ve learned to maintain their positive changes. They review key concepts that are essential to learning to stick with new habits including goal setting, tracking food and physical activity, staying motivated, and overcoming barriers.
At the 12-month mark or graduation, the goal is to:
- Keep off the weight you’ve lost and continue working toward your goal weight
- Continue to maintain getting at least 150 minutes of physical activity each week
For enrollment eligibility and to learn when and where the program will take place, call (808) 622-1619.
Wahiawā Health’s Diabetes Specialty Center provides comprehensive medication management, diabetes self-management education and support, hypertension education, and blood pressure cuff training sessions with patients via telehealth and in-person visits. Patients are provided glucometers and blood pressure cuffs, free medication delivery to their home and are screened for depression and/or stress and then referred to a clinical psychologist or psychiatric nurse practitioner for mental health care.
To support patients with diabetes and chronic diseases, Wahiawā Health offers an in-house pharmacy for its patients that provides prescription accuracy, simplifies taking medications and convenience.
About Hawaii’s Diabetes Epidemic
- Approximately 128,653 people in Hawai‘i, or 11.2% of the adult population, have diagnosed diabetes.
- An additional 39,000 people in Hawai‘i have diabetes but don’t know it, greatly increasing their health risk.
- There are 410,000 people in Hawai‘i, 37.1% of the adult population, who have prediabetes with blood glucose levels that are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes.
- Every year an estimated 10,041 people in Hawai‘i are diagnosed with diabetes.
- For more information about diabetes visit: Hawaii | ADA (diabetes.org)
Hours, Appointments, Telehealth, Insurance
The diabetes specialty center is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and is located in suite 214. The diabetes specialty center can be reached by calling 808-622-1601.
Wahiawā Health conducts in-person visits as well as telehealth appointments. They accept most major insurance and provides a sliding-fee scale for uninsured patients. Staff members can assist patients with insurance enrollment.
About Wahiawā Health
Wahiawā Health is a federally qualified health center that provides affordable, high-quality and accessible health care to the people of Wahiawā, Waialua, Mililani, Schofield, Kunia and surrounding areas. Wahiawā Health is located at 302 California Avenue, Suite 106, across from Jack in the Box. For more information about the diabetes specialty center, contact (808) 622-1601. For general information, call (808) 622-1618, email at info@wahiawahealth.org or visit: www.wahiawahealth.org