Diabetes Education Programs

What we're about:

The Community Wellness Center is a part of the East Central District Health Department and the center focuses on the prevention of chronic conditions such as Diabetes, Obesity, Cardiovascular disease, and Stroke. The Wellness Center is based on the premise that a dollar spent on prevention is worth thousands of dollars spent on treatments.

The Diabetes education program seeks to reduce the problems that are community is seeing in relationship to diabetes which is a multi-faceted health problem on the increase in our country. Diabetes Type II disproportionately affects the Hispanic/Latino population with rates as high at 26.2% . Diabetes-related death rates for Hispanic Nebraskans are 1.4 times higher than for Non-Hispanic white Nebraskans. With a rapidly growing Hispanic population, Platte and Colfax Counties are seeing much higher rates of diabetes. When the opportunity came from the state for minority health funds to address public health issue, diabetes was a clear choice for Platte and Colfax Counties. Our program addresses the needs of all diabetics in our area with classes taught in English and Spanish.

There are many medical studies which suggest that among those at risk for diabetes, diabetes can be prevented or delayed with sustained lifestyle changes such as 7% weight loss and moderate-intensity physical activity (30 minutes, 5 days per week). Our diabetes education classes seek to make such lifestyle changes to improve long term life quality for our residents.

Services Offered:

Diabetes Self-Management Program: This 12 week program is offered at no cost to individuals who have diabetes or who have significant risk factors toward developing the disease. Participants learn not only the nature of Diabetes as a disease but also how to identify healthy and unhealthy foods, practical classes on healthy cooking, a tour to a local store to learn the meaning and interpretation of food labels and education on physical exercise.

Diabetic education class learners are also encouraged to take the LEARN long-term weight management program: The LEARN program is a long term weight management program with emphasis on nutritional education, cooking, developing healthy lifetime eating habits and incorporating physical activity into your life.

In addition to the Diabetes and weight loss management classes the Wellness Center is equipped with exercise machinery and includes treadmills, bicycles, home gym, ellipticals, step climber, and weight bench.

Cost of Services:

Diabetes education services are available free of charge.

How you can contact us:

You can contact a services coordinator to learn more about this program by calling 402-563-9656.