Diabetes Wellness Clinic Open At Advocate Trinity
Diabetes Wellness Clinic Open At Advocate Trinity
By Tia Carol Jones
Advocate Trinity Hospital opened a Diabetes Wellness Clinic as a way to help patients prevent and manage diabetes. The outpatient clinic is located on the fifth floor of the hospital, which is located at 2320 E. 93rd St.
“Advocate Trinity’s new diabetes clinic is our response to the devastating fact that diabetes is causing a significant amount of suffering in the South Side community. By bringing personalized care, resources and support into one easy-to-access location, we can help people with diabetes feel healthier, potentially decrease their dependence on medications and live longer,” Advocate Trinity Hospital President Michelle Y. Blakely, PhD., said in a release.
Recently, Advocate Health Care announced a $1 billion investment to the South side, and plans to construct a $300 million hospital in the same area where the Illinois Quantum Microelectronics Park will be located.
Dezaree Pearson, Vice President of Clinical Operations and Chief Nursing Officer at Advocate Trinity, said the diabetes clinic is part of Advocate Trinity and Advocate Health Care’s ongoing efforts to improve healthcare and wellness on the South side.
During the summer, the hospital hosted listening sessions and community members said they wanted outpatient clinics that focused on health concerns that are prevalent in the community. Pearson said with diabetes being a health concern in the community, with residents on the South side being four times more likely to experience uncontrolled diabetes, the hospital believed it was important to tackle the health disparities in the community that lead to diagnosis of the disease.
With the opening of the diabetes clinic, Advocate Trinity wants to enhance and advance health equity on the South Side. The clinic has been open for a couple of months. The clinic is open to residents on the South side and is aimed at helping patients manage Type 1, Type 2, gestational and pre-diabetes by providing patients a personalized care plan, with guidance for nutrition, medication, exercise and lifestyle recommendations to help them control and manage their blood sugar. The multidisciplinary approach includes a team of nurses, nurse practitioners, dietitians and diabetes educators, along with other health professionals.
“We are really excited to have the clinic open to be able to serve our community,” Pearson said.
The clinic is open to patients who are diabetic or pre-diabetic. They can attend the clinic with a doctor’s referral. Pearson said the goal of the clinic is to help patients improve their overall quality of life by reducing the risk of diabetes related complications. She said that the diabetes clinic is enhancing the services that already exist at Advocate Trinity Hospital.
“Our hope is that the diabetes clinic will help change the lives of our patients, ultimately saving them. We are ready to partner and meet patients where they are on that journey, when they are struggling with diabetes,” Pearson said.
Pearson said that since the clinic opened there have been more than 300 referrals. She said already, the hospital is seeing improvements with the patients who have been able to take part in the clinic. Patients have been able to get more engaged with making better food choices for themselves and are understanding better how to manage their medications. Patients are also able to reap the benefits of the Food Farmacy, which provides patients with fresh fruits, vegetables and protein.
Those who are interested in participating in the Diabetes Wellness Program, can call 773-967-3622.
