Diabetes is an expensive condition, both to the individual who has it and to our society. According to a study completed by the American Diabetes Association and published in the March 2007 issue of Diabetes Care, the direct medical costs of diabetes were

$91.8 billion in 2002. On average, our nation spent $13,243 on each person with diabetes that year, compared to $2,560 per person for those without diabetes. The figures took into account spending by individuals, employers, insurers and government programs such as Medicaid and Medicare.

Thirteen thousand dollars a year related to medical care is a lot of money. You can imagine that there are many people without insurance coverage and without adequate income to afford the expenses that go along with caring for diabetes. Those costs end up trickling down to society in some form or fashion. When routine care is missed for lack of funds, diabetes is more likely to progress, with even more costly outcomes such as heart disease and kidney failure.

Fortunately, there are generous and caring people who are willing to contribute some of their resources to helping others. One such Benton County resident directed a sum from her estate upon her death to establish the Diabetes Health Promotion Coalition, with the intent that the money be used to reduce the burden of diabetes in our community. The Diabetes Coalition seeks to provide diabetes education and service needs that are not met by other sources.

Each year, the Diabetes Coalition solicits proposals from organizations that provide services to Benton County residents with diabetes. Those proposals are ranked, with priority given to requests that might not otherwise be met by other funding sources. Up to $1,000 is available each year for those who meet the requirements set forth by the Coalition and who submit a simple proposal.

In 2007, the Diabetes Coalition funded two programs.

• Home Life, a Corvallis organization that assists adults with developmental disabilities, requested assistance for their staff and clientele related to meal planning and food preparation. (For a variety of reasons, this group of adults is at increased risk for diabetes.) The Diabetes Coalition was able to pay the registration fee for 20 people to take the four-session Meals Made Easy for Diabetes class offered by the Benton County Health Department. Participants learned a simple method for planning “diabetes-friendly” meals, along with the nutrition label reading, grocery shopping and food preparation skills recommended for diabetes management.

• Oregon State University Extension Service in Benton County requested assistance in providing four sessions of a diabetes meal-planning class taught in Spanish. The Diabetes Coalition funding allowed the Platos Saludables teachers to provide childcare, food demonstration supplies and incentives for 39 class participants in Corvallis, Monroe and Philomath. Participants have a clearer understanding about how to feed themselves and their family members who have diabetes or who are at risk of developing diabetes.

The Diabetes Coalition is nearing the time for mailing requests for proposals for 2008. If you belong to an organization that has an opportunity to assist in meeting basic needs for diabetes education or services, please consider submitting a proposal for funding.

The Diabetes Coalition is particularly interested in potentially under-served residents in rural areas of Benton County. Assistance might be offered through church, school or rural medical facilities. If you have an idea but aren’t sure how to make it happen, the Coalition may be able to connect you with an organization that provides those services and assist with fees related to accessing the services or education.

To obtain an application for funding, please contact Pat Eschelman, secretary of the Diabetes Health Promotion Coalition of Benton County. You can reach her (at her workplace) by phone at (541) 754-1398. Be prepared to leave your phone number and/or mailing address so that she can provide you with instructions. Proposals are due the end of December, and monies will be distributed after the first of the new year.

Last, but not least, if you would like to contribute to the Coalition so that it might increase its funding capacity, please do not hesitate in asking for assistance to do so. You can also direct questions and/or intentions related to contributions to Pat Eschelman.

Carol Walsh is a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator who provides medical nutrition therapy services at The Corvallis Clinic and Albany Family and Specialty Medicine. You can reach her at carol.walsh@corvallisclinic.com