Nursing group lobbies for diabetes funding

By LYNDSEE MARSH
News Reporter

Fourteen HCC nursing students and one faculty member gathered at the capitol in Frankfort on Feb. 8, to serve as advocates for diabetes.

Nursing students Sylbe Lowry, Danielle Blake, Agnes Poe, Lydia Luntsford, Beth Branson, Kim Toombs, Lance Noel, Lori Vinson, Jarrett Workins, Alison Conway, Brooke Vansickle, Lacee Brisby, Cynthia Gallandt, Fallon Belt and nursing professor, Dianne Siewert made to the trip to get more money to fight diabetes.

The student’s job was to inform legislators of the staggering statistics on the diabetes problem in the state and urge the legislators to pass a bill to increase the current funding for the Kentucky Diabetes Prevention and Control Program.

According to the statistics the students had, health care costs for diabetes will total $2.4 billion each year in the U.S.

The Kentucky Diabetes Prevention and Control Program funding was at $1.4 million per year.

The program hadn’t received a raise in funding in 25 years according to Siewert.

“Our mission was to increase the budget to $2.8 million in order to better inform the public about diabetes and the causes of it,” said Lacee Brisby, nursing student who attended the event.

“First we talked with Representative Gross Clay Lindsay and then with Senator Dorsey Ridley. We told them numerous reasons why money should be allotted for diabetes. However, we were all disappointed by their response. While they were willing to support our idea, they told us we needed to start the process with the budget committee,” Brisby said.
However, the disappointment was short lived when the final state budget was released.

Brisby noted $900,000 was added to the Diabetes Prevention and Control budget in the final state budget.

“This experience was very interesting and will definitely benefit me in the future. This just goes to show anything is worth fighting for,” Brisby concluded.

Diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of blindness, kidney failure, and amputation in the country. One in every seven health care dollars is spent on someone who has diabetes and its complications.

Over 376,000 of adult Kentuckians have diabetes, one third of whom are undiagnosed.

The Kentucky Diabetes Prevention and Control Program estimates 611,00 (40%) adult Kentuckians age 40 to 74 have pre-diabetes, a major risk factor for diabetes, heart attack and stroke.

Locally, during 2004 the Henderson County Diabetes Coalition spent over $20,000 to help under served Henderson County individuals with diabetes to purchase their insulin, syringes, test strips and oral medications.

If you would like more information about the local diabetes association or information on how to care for diabetes, contact Siewert at 831-9741 or stop by her office in AT 314G.