(Roseburg, Or) - Mercy Foundation has been awarded a $90,000+ one-year planning grant from the CHI Mission and Ministry fund for the youth diabetes program, Beyond The Diagnosis-T1D. CHI is the parent organization of CHI Mercy Health Mercy Medical Center.
A local youth diabetes initiative was started in 2018 in response to outreach from the Douglas County ESD nurses. The nurses were struggling to find resources to assist our youth and their families manage their Type 1 Diabetes (T1D). Initially, thirty public school children had been identified with T1D; since that time the number has climbed to 45 and it is unclear how many more children with T1D are in the community and have just not been identified. DCESD has three school nurses working in conjunction with the Healthy Kids Outreach Program Nurses for all of the schools within Douglas County and focusing their responsibilities on medically fragile children, including those needing to inject insulin.
According to Lisa Platt, Mercy Foundation president, “This planning grant aligns with our investment in prevention to improve overall health and wellness. The funding for our TID program will allow Mercy Foundation to expand our collaborations already in place through programs like The Healthy Kids Outreach Program and The Rural Dental Health Initiative.”
The goal is to offer youth, parents and schools education and support to successfully manage this diagnosis while exploring additional wrap around services. These services will potentially include support from a consortium of diabetes partners who will assist families with coordination, navigation, connection to community resources and encouragement at monthly resource and education workshops.
“Helping community members manage chronic illness is a priority in Mercy’s Community Health Improvement Plan,” says Mercy CEO Kelly Morgan. “Increasing the knowledge and skills about how to effectively manage their diabetes, ultimately empowers them to become active partners in their own health.”
For more information about this grant, please call Lisa Platt at Mercy Foundation at 541-677-4818.
