Diabetes program with successful outcomes forced to downsize after state pulls funding
The University of Texas Community Outreach program, the first of its kind in Corpus Christi, was the result of state efforts to fund innovative plans aimed at controlling diabetes, a chronic disease that is one of the biggest drivers of health care costs.
Within two years, the Nueces County program was reporting success, saving the state an estimated $1.2 million in the county alone.
Despite that, lawmakers failed to renew funding in 2011, forcing the program to downsize and eliminate its most innovative elements.
In the Coastal Bend, which has not placed a high priority on diabetes classes, the programs demise underscores the difficulty such classes face in trying to stay afloat, even when they show success.
Source:
http://www.caller.com/news/2013/feb/03/diabetes-program-with-successful-outcomes-forced/
[font color=green]Note: The
Corpus Christi Caller-Times is running a yearlong series on diabetes. This is one of the stories that pertain to the cost of diabetes.
Once again, we are able to see how our legislators and leaders are short-sighted.[/font]