Know how to manage your diabetes through Clemson, Extension, Prisma Health education programs

Diabetes affects one out of seven adults in South Carolina, according to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. Clemson University and Prisma Health have been working together for the past four years to educate the community on this disease, help patients manage it, and encourage others to prevent the onset.

Clemson’s Department of Public Health Sciences, Clemson Cooperative Extension and Prisma Health offer three community-based education programs related to the prevention and management of type 1 and 2 diabetes. The Diabetes Prevention Program, Health Extension for Diabetes and Know Diabetes By Heart each offer tips for healthy eating, physical activity, stress reduction and more as part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Health Extension for Diabetes and the Diabetes Prevention Program were initially funded in 2017 by the Greenville Health Authority. Since then, both programs have reached more than 740 individuals across South Carolina. These online and in-person programs have expanded past Greenville County, reaching people living in 16 of the 46 counties in the state.

Since January 2021, more than 350 individuals have been reached across the U.S. and internationally with information through Know Diabetes By Heart.

As part of Diabetes Awareness Month in November, learn more about these free resources and the ways they can assist those affected by or at risk for diabetes.

Diabetes Prevention Program

The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) is a year-long free, lifestyle change program focused on delaying or preventing the onset of type 2 diabetes. Consisting of group and individual sessions, the program uses an evidence-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) curriculum to provide participants with the knowledge and support to help them lose weight, lead a more active lifestyle, eat healthier, and manage stress to reduce the risk of developing diabetes. Clemson Extension’s Rural Health Extension Agents, who are trained as lifestyle coaches, meet with their DPP group for 22 sessions over the course of the year to learn and support each other in making healthy lifestyle changes. For additional information, contact Melissa Bales at 864-365-0635 or healthygreenville@clemson.edu.

Health Extension for Diabetes

Health Extension for Diabetes (HED) is a four-month-long program recognized by the American Diabetes Association as a practice-tested diabetes support program. HED is for people living with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes and provides program participants with the knowledge, skills and support needed to improve their diabetes self-management. In collaboration with Prisma Health-Upstate, Clemson Extension’s Rural Health Extension Agents offer a series of education and support sessions that are currently being offered online by Zoom and in person. Topics in the program include healthy eating, physical activity, stress management, medications and monitoring. HED is offered to the community for free, and individuals can sign up for upcoming classes here. For additional information, contact Danielle McFall at 864-656-8627 or at healthygreenville@clemson.edu.

Know Diabetes By Heart

Know Diabetes By Heart (KDBH) is a free education session sponsored by the American Diabetes Association and the American Heart Association. The purpose of this one-hour session is to provide participants with information about risks related to diabetes and heart disease, how to take control of those risks through healthy lifestyle changes, and how to find community and clinical resources. The program aims to help participants better understand the link between diabetes and heart disease. Sessions are available online and in person. Registration for the KDBH online sessions can be found at knowdiabetesbyheart.eventbrite.org. For in-person sessions or to learn more, contact Danielle McFall at 864-656-8627 or healthygreenville@clemson.edu.

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The Department of Public Health Sciences is part of the University’s College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences (CBSHS). Established in July 2016, CBSHS is a 21st-century, land-grant college that combines work in seven disciplines – Communication; Nursing; Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management; Political Science; Psychology; Public Health Sciences; Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice – to further its mission in “building people and communities” in South Carolina and beyond.

Clemson Extension helps improve the quality of life of all South Carolinians by providing unbiased, research-based information through an array of public outreach programs in youth development; agribusiness; agriculture; food, nutrition and health; and natural resources. With offices in all 46 counties of the state, Extension works to help support South Carolina’s $42 billion agriculture and forestry industries; strengthen families and communities; improve stewardship of natural resources and the environment; strengthen connections between people and their food; and expose South Carolina youth to opportunities in agriculture, science, technology, engineering and math.

Prisma Health is a not-for-profit health company and the largest healthcare system in South Carolina. With nearly 30,000 team members, 18 acute care and specialty hospitals, 2,947 beds, approximately 300 outpatient sites, and nearly 5,000 employed and clinically integrated network physicians and providers, Prisma Health serves more than 1.2 million unique patients annually in its 21-county market area that covers 50% of South Carolina. Prisma Health’s goal is to improve the health of all South Carolinians by enhancing clinical quality, the patient experience and access to affordable care, as well as conducting clinical research and training the next generation of medical professionals. For more information, visit PrismaHealth.org.