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eceived their certification. The Rio Grande Area Agency on Aging
and SoAHEC are meeting via conference calls to explore future collaborations
between the two states to deliver evidence-based programs
along the border region of Texas, New Mexico, and Mexico.
Using a Regional Approach, New Mexico and Texas Work to
Address Health Disparities along the Border through Evidence-
Based Programs and Policy Systems Change- Partnering with the
Ysleta Pueblo del Sur Tribe, Aging and Disability Resource Centers,
and New Mexico To Improve the Health of Native Americans and
Latino Seniors Along the Border
Yvette Lugo, LMSW, Area Agency on Aging (AAA) of the Rio
Grande Council of Governments
Background: Texas has 254 counties and over one-half of them are
considered rural. Hispanics are 38.6% of the total population and about
4% are Native American. In the border counties of the Rio Grande,
77.6% of the elderly population is a minority, and 77.8 older adults live
below the poverty level. Within theses border counties, there are also
undeveloped communities known as Colonias. These communities lack
basic infrastructure such as water, sewers, electricity, natural gas, and
roads, making it difficult to maintain hygiene and to follow doctor’s
orders for disease management. The Ysleta Pueblo del Sur tribe has
limited-to-no programming for its tribal elders, Theoretical basis:
Recognizing that distrust can impede acceptance into the Colonias
areas, the Promotora model was used when reaching out to these area
and developing this initiative. Because Promotoras are community
members, there is an inherent sense of trust which allows us to reach
members of these communities. The importance of understanding
cultural differences is particularly important when working with tribal
members. Identifying tribal elders who can be champions and leaders
is essential to bridging the gap between bridging the aging network
and tribal members. Discussion with the Tribal Elders trough their
Elder’s Center was established in order to create buy-in and trust
in developing this initiative. Interventions: Familias Triunfadoras,
Inc., the Cancer and Chronic Disease Consortium, Centro San
Vicente Health Clinic and the Texas A& M Colonias Program
employ Promotoras who were trained as Lay Leaders to teach the
Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) in English
and Spanish, with a focus on serving the Colonias of El Paso and
Hudspeth counties. Ysleta del Sur Pueblo tribal elders were also be
trained as leaders. . Results: The Rio Grande Area Agency on Aging
(AAA) was one of five Area Agencies on Aging in the state of Texas
awarded funding through the state’s Texas Healthy Lifestyles Project.
As the Aging and Disability Resource Center, the AAA is working
to imbed referral to CDSMP within the information and referral
system. This will allow us to screen for much needed services as well as
enhancing the knowledge of and management of the many diseases so
common to our area and population. The Texas Rio Grande AAA is
utilizing its effective partnership with the Ysleta Pueblo del Sur Tribe
to assist New Mexico in working with the tribe in Albuquerque.
Concurrent Session B2
Under the Diabetes Umbrella: Improving
Prevention, Intervention, and Care
Under the Umbrella: The North Carolina Diabetes Education
Recognition Program
Joanne Rinker, MS, RD, CDE, LDN, NC Diabetes Education
Recognition Program; Laura Edwards, RN, MPA, NC Diabetes
Education Recognition Program
Objectives: Increase access to care through state partnerships with
36 local health departments (covering 40 counties) across the state
as “multi-sites” under the umbrella recognition. Also, increase access
in all areas of the state for people with diabetes to get needed selfmanagement
training, while providing reimbursement to local health
departments for support staff to do this Methods: Recruit local
health departments, train them in use of all forms, curriculum, ADA
standards and data collection so that the program is consistent around
the state. Results: New sites are invited each year to increase participation.
All sites that have applied for recognition have been approved.
Conclusion: Data shows that just a 1% decrease in A1c will have a
20% decrease in diabetes complications. Of the patients who have
completed our program, 63% of them have an A1c of 7.0% or less. Our
program has outcomes data that supports national research which
indicates improved health outcomes for those who receive DSME.
We have seen over 2000 patients in the state of NC since the program
started in 2007.
Honing Diabetes Care Skills in Rural Areas
Anna Hargreaves, MA, MPH, New Mexico Department of Health
Background: The New Mexico DPCP has now created three online
courses, available free of charge to health professionals who are
interested and have internet access. The courses are Diabetes and
Depression (2007), Diabetes and Smoking (spring 2010), and Pre-
Diabetes (winter 2010). Theoretical basis: New Mexico is a predominantly
rural state with very limited provider resources outside
the metro areas. For this reason, and because the department has
the capacity and expertise, we have been developing online courses
since 2006. With shrinking budgets, this can be a very cost-effective
way of reaching rural, underserved communities. It also ensures that
professional development is of a consistent standard, and that health
professionals are able to maintain their licenses by receiving continuing
education credits (CMEs and CEUs) at no cost and with no travel
required. Interventions: The three topics were selected because they
were not widely covered elsewhere, we had local expertise available in
these areas, and the material lends itself to online delivery. In order
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SOPHE-NACDD 2011 Joint Academy and Midyear Scientific Meeting