Louisville Health Advisory Board & CEOs Come Together to Prevent Diabetes

Jenny Goins, Commissioner, Department of Employee Insurance, State of KY.

Jenny Goins, Commissioner, Department of Employee Insurance, State of KY.

Did you know? 

  • Kentucky is 4th in the nation for deaths related to diabetes,
  • 1 in 8 Kentucky adults are estimated to have diagnosed diabetes (138K undiagnosed),
  • 1 in 3 KY adults are estimated to have prediabetes (1.1M); 90% do not know they have it,
  • Diabetes leads to many complications including stroke, heart attack, cataracts, glaucoma and amputation,
  • One-third of Kentucky adults with prediabetes will develop diabetes within 5 years,
  • Individuals with diabetes have a medical expenditure 2.3x higher than people without diabetes,
  • The American Diabetes Association estimates diabetes costs KY $3.85 billion in total medical costs, lost work and lost wages.

As a part World Diabetes Month in November, the Louisville Health Advisory Board (LHAB) Diabetes Committee sponsored a CEO Roundtable on November 2, bringing together 30 community leaders from 18 local organizations to discuss the prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes (a condition that can ultimately lead to diabetes).

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The morning’s event included speakers who addressed the employer audience on the growing epidemic of diabetes in Kentucky. Two large employers - the Kentucky Employee Health Plan and Humana – shared what they are doing to help their employees avoid prediabetes and manage diabetes, as well as reducing medical expenditures for the employer health plan and improving their employee’s Healthy Days*.

Both employers identified the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) as an excellent resource for their employees who currently have prediabetes. A research-based prevention program like DPP shows that a lifestyle change program is a proven way to prevent or delay diabetes.

Jenny Goins, Commissioner, Department of Employee Insurance, for the state of KY was very passionate about the DPP results generated for their employees. The KEHP’s DPP program has 416 employees actively enrolled in classes. Overall their employees have had an average of 5% weight loss and an average of 196 minutes of physical activity per week. DPP is a covered benefit for their plan. Jenny said, “DPP is making a big difference for our KEHP employees.”

You too can join the fight against prediabetes and diabetes in Louisville! Here are 6 ways how:

  1. Learn about the potential opportunity for addressing prediabetes in your organization with the CDC’s employer calculator.

  2. Provide education to your employees about prediabetes and/or host a screening event at your worksite.

  3. Consider covering the cost of a Diabetes Prevention Program in your workplace.

  4. Look for approved DPP providers in your area. A statewide list of CDC recognized programs can be obtained here.

  5. Learn more about Louisville’s activation of World Diabetes Day on November 14.

  6. Join the LHAB Diabetes Committee. To learn more about our work visit the Louisville Health Advisory Board website and Facebook page.

*Healthy Days is a tool created by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that tracks quality of life by measuring individual physical and mental health in a 30 day period. The LHAB is using Healthy Days to track progress toward our Bold Goal – to make Louisville 20% healthier by 2020.

Post authored by members of the LHAB Diabetes Committee.