Billings Area Model Diabetes
Program
Blackfeet Diabetes Program
Browning, Montana
Debbie Powell-Taylor, R N, B S N, Coordinator
Blackfeet Community Hospital
P. O. Box 760
Browning, Montana 59417
Phone: (406) 338-6305
FAX: (406) 338-6195
E-mail: Debra.Powell-Taylor@ihs.gov
Program Description
Began in 1987 under the Blackfeet Indian Health Service
(I H S) Service Unit. Serves the reservation and outlying
areas, urban centers in Great Falls, Helena, Butte & Missoula
and Billings Area, I H S. Program mission is to provide education
on the prevention of diabetes to the Blackfeet people, and
assist those persons with diabetes to improve their quality
of life as they work at controlling their diabetes.
Data/Epidemiology
- In Fiscal Year (F Y) 1999 the service population for the
Blackfeet Service Unit was 8,825. People with diabetes 11%
of total population, 20% of those over 20 years, & 49%
of those over 50 years.
- Number of people with diabetes who receive diabetes care
is 830
- In F Y 1988--331 identified people with diabetes, in F
Y 2000--1,050 people with diabetes
- In F Y 1997, diabetes was the second leading cause of
outpatient visits
- Registries in place: general diabetes, impaired glucose
tolerance, complications--gestational diabetes, amputations,
end stage renal disease (hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis,
transplants, and pre-renal patients).
Clinical Accomplishments
- Primary clinical function: patient advocacy for standards
of diabetes care
- Coordination of Blackfeet Service Unit's diabetes clinic
activities
- Use of diabetes chart section, color-coding charts, clinic
flow sheet, and creation of preprinted P C C Patient
- Encounter forms for clinic, screening, chart reviews and
education.
- Diabetes Tracker Project from Billings Area Office: computerized
method/tool to share patient data & batch process reports,
allows local providers ability to analyze reports and show
trends for standards of diabetes care and educational efforts.
Physician report card and patient report card forms are
available. Program can link services in
- I H S, tribal and urban programs.
- Coordination of home blood sugar monitoring program.
Education Programs
- Diabetes education programs--individual counseling, group
counseling or family education for diabetes, nutrition and
fitness
- Self Care workshop--held 5-6 times per year, targeting
newly diagnosed patients & family
- Strong Women Stay Slim--12 weekly sessions for women:
nutrition tips, strength training, and aerobics. Program
evaluation shows women are increasing muscle mass &
decreasing body fat
- Transtheorical model of behavior change--In coordination
with the Blackfeet behavioral department, to change the
approach of health care workers in assessing the readiness
to change and use of appropriate educational methods and
tools to help people with diabetes make lifestyle changes.
Community
- "Celebration of Life"--a nutrition education
activity to honor the challenges that community people face
when living with diabetes.
- Annual adolescent health screens for middle and high school
students
- Professional education provided to nursing and public
health nutrition students
- Community diabetes screening in coordination with Tribal
diabetes project & C H R's
- Diabetes education workshops and presentations (as requested)
including nutrition, fitness, general diabetes care and
education. Presented to community members, tribal officials
health care professionals and paraprofessionals
- " Cooking for Good Health" class--once a month
at local school
- SHOP SMART Grocery Store Tour--A supermarket tour program
for community members
- Education for the Billings Area Intertribal Diabetes camps
beginning in 1989.
Resource Development
- "Cooking for Good Health" manual--lesson plans,
handouts and recipes for 5 cooking classes
- " Low fat cooking" video-30 minutes--produced
with Fort Peck Diabetes Program
- Gestational diabetes nutrition "Pin"--award
winning tool helps women with diabetes in pregnancy learn
exchange diet system
- " Exercise interventions in the Gila River Indian
Community" which is now the diabetes prevention study
- Strong Women Stay Slim manual--preprinted P C C s, handouts,
and activity lessons
- Preprinted patient encounter forms for diabetes clinic,
diabetes screening, monitoring supplies, self-care education,
nutrition education, fitness assessment and education, diabetes
education
- Diabetes clinic flow sheets and education flow sheets
Unique Contribution
- Assistance to Billings Area Diabetes Consultant to provide
technical support to area clinics
- Assistance to Montana Diabetes Control program and Alberta
First Nations Diabetes Task Force
- Registered Dietitian is recognized nutrition authority
within the Blackfeet community & in the nutrition &
dietetics field.
Challenges
- The diabetes population was 331 in 1988; it is now 1,050
in F Y 2000. The number of staff has been reduced from six
to four
- The biggest challenge in the next two years will be the
major reconstruction in the Blackfeet outpatient departments.
The program has moved seven times since 1988; the next move
will be to a permanent and central location within outpatient
services.
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PROGRAM DIRECTORY |
Division of Diabetes
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