The Center for Diabetes Wellness and Prevention, located at the Barnabas Health Ambulatory Care Center, has received national recognition from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for its efforts aimed at preventing type 2 diabetes. The Center for Diabetes Wellness and Prevention is only the second health care facility and one of only four programs in New Jersey to have received CDC full-recognition status, a designation reserved for programs that have effectively delivered a quality, evidence-based program that meets CDC recognition standards.
"Having a CDC-recognized diabetes prevention program means that we are consistently meeting criteria that demonstrates our program is highly effective for the prevention or delaying of type 2 diabetes," says Jennifer Meyers, MS, RD, CDE, CPT, Clinical Coordinator of the Diabetes Center for Wellness and Prevention, Saint Barnabas Medical Center.
In order to qualify for CDC full-recognition status, The Center for Diabetes Wellness and Prevention staff spent 18 months tracking the programs successes and providing data to the CDC. Meyers explained that one achievement that secured recognition for the program was consistently demonstrating that participants achieved at least a 5 percent reduction in their body weight. Since the Center began offering the Prevent 2T program in 2018, 33 participants have taken part in the classes, losing a total of 437 pounds or 6.1 percent of their body weight.
"It is estimated that 86 million U.S. adults have prediabetes and 9 out of 10 people who have prediabetes do not even know they have it, Jennifer explains. Through our year-long Prevent 2T program, we work with participants to encourage weight loss, healthy eating, physical activity and stress management in order to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes and other chronic illnesses like stroke and heart disease."
The Center for Diabetes Wellness and Prevention will offer the next round of Prevent T2 starting in September 2019. To learn more, free information sessions will be offered on June 11, July 16, August 13 from 7:00 to 8:00 pm, at the Barnabas Health Ambulatory Care Center, 200 South Orange Avenue, Livingston.
Pre-registration is required by visiting rwjbh.org/sbmcevents or calling 973-322-7007.