A News Conference was
held on April 28, 2006 in the Diabetes Apprenticeship Program Clinic with Dr.
Paresh Dandona, Assembly Member Crystal Peoples, Sheila Kee, June Hoeflich, Barbara Franklin - Project Director and Members of the “DAP” Clinic to
Inform the Community of the Program
Diabetes is one of the most serious health
challenges facing the African-American communities. Most prevalent among
African-American women age 55 and over and among African-American men aged
65-74.
The community served by Sheehan has a 50% higher
mortality rate from diabetes than Erie County and NY state, and the rate of
diabetes related hospital admissions in Sheehan’s service area is 30% higher
than the rate for Erie County.
Patients with diabetes can live healthy,
happy and productive lives when their diabetes is properly controlled. The
effective treatment of diabetes will not only improve the lives of
patients with diabetes, but it will also save the healthcare system millions of
dollars annually.
In ErieCounty, more than 17,500 diabetes-related
hospital admissions occur each year costing our healthcare system in excess of
$201
million annually.
Avoiding
just one-third of those hospital admissions through proper diabetes treatment,
would lead to combined Medicaid, Medicare and health insurance savings of $66
million each year.
