FORT LAUDERDALE-DAVIE, Fla.- One in 10 adult Floridians has diabetes and the number has doubled during the past 15 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Diabetes is an increasing concern throughout the United States with 25.8 million children and adults living with the disease and another 79 million with pre-diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA). The Economic Costs of Diabetes in the U.S. in 2012 study indicated that the costs related to diagnosed diabetes is expected to have risen from $174 million in 2007 to $245 billion in 2012.
In an effort to combat this epidemic, Nova Southeastern University (NSU) and the ADA of Broward County have joined forces with community organizations to establish an Inter-professional Diabetes Education and Awareness (IDEA) Initiative with the goal of offering free education seminars and other services to the community.
“As diabetes-related health care costs rise along with the rapid increase in the number of adults and children with diabetes, it is important for us to work together toward a common solution,” said Dawn Seay, executive director of the ADA of Broward County.
The health care system in the United States has become increasingly fragmented and complex over the last decade and sweeping health care reform is designed to address the gaps. Rapid innovation and adaption to change requires a more interdependent and collaborative approach that moves away from an “individual expert” model of health care delivery toward one that spans professions, functions, levels and generations. The IDEA Initiative is designed to help prepare emerging health care professionals to meet this need.
“The National Diabetes Prevention Program recommends a collaborative approach and points to the importance of partnerships between health care professionals, academia, employers, community-based organizations, insurers, federal agencies and other stakeholders,” said Terry Morrow, Ph.D., assistant dean of student affairs for the NSU College of Health Care Sciences and co-director of the initiative. “We believe that the best way to combat this epidemic is to come together and pool our knowledge and expertise.”
The IDEA Initiative began in fall 2012 when nine NSU faculty members and 45 students from NSU’s College of Health Care Sciences worked together to host diabetes workshops throughout Broward and Dade counties. Collectively, they educated approximately 170 children, adults, and elderly about diabetes.
A year later, the initiative has expanded to include faculty and students from 10 different professional disciplines based in NSU’s Health Professions Division, including physician assistant, occupational therapy, physical therapy, medical sonography, audiology, pharmacy, nursing, osteopathic medicine, public health and optometry.
Local businesses and organizations including Walgreens, South Florida Regional Transportation Authority, the Urban League and others have also signed on as community partners. The IDEA Initiative Kick-Off event took place on October 24, 2013 and the eight inter-professional teams are working together to create a variety of diabetes workshops for the community. The workshop series is called “Power Over Diabetes,” and the target audience is individuals with diabetes and their families as well as anyone else with a vested interest in diabetes.
Power Over Diabetes is free and open to the public and runs nearly every weekend between mid-January and April (schedule below) in the Nursing Simulations Skills Lab at NSU’s University Park Plaza (3400 S. University Drive, Davie, FL 33328). The hour-long seminars include topics on exercise, eye health, medication management, healthy eating, youth and a general overview of the disease. Each is led by experts in their related field.
For more information, please call 954-NSU-CARE (954-678-2273), visit www.nova.edu/CHCS/IDEA or email IDEA@nova.edu.
| Date | Time | Topic(s) |
| Sat., Jan. 18 | 10 a.m. | Diabetes and Exercise |
| Sat., Feb. 1 | 10 a.m. | Power Over Diabetes: An Overview |
| Sat., Feb. 8 | 10 a.m. | Diabetes and Healthy Eating |
| Sun., Feb. 16 | 2 p.m. | Diabetes and Medication Management |
| Sat., March 1 | 10 a.m.11 a.m. | Diabetes and Eye HealthPower Over Diabetes: An Overview |
| Sat., March 15 | 10 a.m.11 a.m. | Power Over Diabetes: An OverviewDiabetes and Healthy Eating |
| Sat., March 29 | 10 a.m. | Diabetes and Children/Youth |
| Sun., April 6 | 2 p.m. | Diabetes and Medication Management |
| Sat., April 12 | 10 a.m.11 a.m. | Power Over Diabetes: An OverviewDiabetes and Exercise |
| Sat., April 26 | 10 a.m. | Diabetes and Eye Health |
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About Nova Southeastern University: Situated on 314 beautiful acres in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Nova Southeastern University (NSU) is a dynamic fully accredited research institution dedicated to providing high-quality educational programs at all levels. NSU is a not-for-profit independent institution with 27,000 students. NSU awards associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, specialist, doctoral and first-professional degrees in a wide range of fields. NSU is classified as a research university with “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, and it is one of only 37 universities nationwide to also be awarded Carnegie’s Community Engagement Classification. For more information, please visit www.nova.edu. Celebrating 50 years of academic excellence!