Provena diabetes prevention program receives $30,000 grant

Provena Mercy Medical Center in Aurora recently received a $30,000 grant from the Dunham Fund for its groundbreaking diabetes prevention program, “A-List: Achieving Good Health.”

The “A-List” program was developed by Provena Mercy’s Center for Diabetic Wellness to help those who want to make lifestyle changes and to educate the community about the seriousness of diabetes.

“The American Diabetes Association predicts that by the year 2050, one in three adults could have diabetes if current trends continue,” said Maria Iniguez, manager of the Center for Diabetic Wellness at Provena Mercy Medical Center. “We want to do our part to change that statistic.”

The grant from the Dunham Fund will help cover costs to run the program, which is offered free to men and women from the community who have risk factors for developing Type 2 diabetes such as having high cholesterol or blood pressure, being overweight, or living a sedentary lifestyle.

Selected participants receive initial screenings, followed by eight weeks of educational programs, healthy eating, exercise, and follow-up screenings. Participants set goals and work with educators to make lifestyle changes to reach those goals.

“Studies show that with lifestyle changes and modest weight reduction, a person with pre-diabetes can prevent or delay the onset of the disease by 58 percent,” Iniguez said. “Lifestyle intervention is one of the leading ways to reduce the risk of developing the disease.

“We’re so thankful for the generosity of John C. Dunham and the Dunham Fund, who helped to make it possible for us to offer this program,” Iniguez said.

To honor the legacy of John C. Dunham, the Dunham Fund mission is to support organizations that work to make the world a safer and more comfortable place for mankind to live and prosper, giving special consideration to Aurora-area organizations engaged in providing education and to organizations engaged in assisting individuals to attain heights they may not have attained without the benefit of such assistance.

To learn more about the “A-List: Achieving Good Health,” visit www.provena.org/mercy or call (630) 897-4000.