By Bob Babbage and Stewart Perry
Special to NKyTribune
Game on.
That’s right Diabetes. This is Kentucky talking and we want you to know that the fight is on.
We are under no illusions. We recognize that you are a formidable and persistent opponent. But be assured that there is no quit in us and we are prepared to take the fight to you for as long as takes.
Kentucky landed a major blow against diabetes in 2011 when we became the first state to pass a comprehensive Diabetes Action Plan, a statewide blueprint for reducing the incidence of diabetes. Sen. Tom Buford and Rep. Ruth Ann Palumbo were the bipartisan sponsors.
That same year, led by Palumbo and Sen. Alice Forgy Kerr, Kentucky became the first state to license diabetes educators, recognizing the key role educators play in diabetes prevention and providing an important element of professionalism to their work. Led by Kentucky added 600 new licensed professionals in the first year under the legislation.
Gov. Steve Beshear recently announced plans for a new research facility at the University of Kentucky to focus on diabetes and other chronic diseases.
Because Kentucky is taking the fight against diabetes seriously, we can take pride in some recent successes. Kentucky has improved its ranking to 14th in the nation for the incidence of diabetes. We have dropped to 8th for the incidence or pre-diabetes.
Those are not good numbers, but they represent progress.
The fact that 18 other states have modeled similar legislation after Kentucky’s Diabetes Action Plan is a tribute to the hard work and determination of government leaders and diabetes advocates all across Kentucky.
The key provision of that legislation is a requirement to develop a biennial report on the impact of diabetes. It is jointly developed by the Department of Public Health, the Department of Medicaid Services, the Office of Health Policy and the Kentucky Employee Health Plan, under the direction of Cabinet for Health and Human Services Secretary Audrey Tayse Haynes.
The recently completed 2015 report addresses progress made since the first report was completed. It acknowledges that the completion of the report itself was an accomplishment. It points out that one of Governor Beshear’s seven health goals for the Commonwealth is the development of a strategy for diabetes prevention and control of A1C levels, achieved through executive and legislative action, public-private partnerships and the expansion of health care coverage.
The report notes that as of January 1, 2014 diabetes prevention programs became a covered benefit under the Kentucky Employee Health Plan, making us one of only three states to date to do so. The Plan deserves praise.
Managed care companies are screening for more Kentuckians in Medicaid, getting a jump on preventing and managing diabetes. These companies merit praise for this effort.
Kentucky is one of eight states to receive a grant from the National Association of Diabetes Educators to promote diabetes prevention programs in the commonwealth.
In the state’s 2015-2016 biennial budget, 2.6 million general fund dollars were designated for diabetes prevention.
All of that action represents significant achievement and illustrates Kentucky’s commitment to diabetes prevention and care.
November is Diabetes Awareness Month in the United States, a time to renew our energy and reflect on the achievements we are making to combat the diabetes epidemic.
World Diabetes Day is Nov. 14, sponsored by the International Diabetes Federation and the World Health Organization to draw attention to issues of paramount importance to the diabetes world. World Diabetes Day is formally recognized in state law in Kentucky, the only state to have done so.
The Blue Monument Challenge was launched as a part of World Diabetes Day in 2007. Since then more than 1,000 iconic sights and buildings in 84 countries have ‘gone blue’ on Nov. 14 to raise diabetes awareness. The celebration has included the Empire State Building, Niagara Falls, the United Nations Building, Rome’s Coliseum, the London Eye, Brandenburg Gate and the Egyptian Pyramids and hundreds more locations around the world.
Confirmed sites going blue in Kentucky this year are Memorial Hall at the University of Kentucky, the Louisville Water Company’s headquarters building, the Knott County Judicial Center, Hazard City Hall, and the Carl D. Perkins statue in Hindman. For a complete guide on participating in World Diabetes Day and the Blue Monument Challenge go to www.idf.org/wdd-index.
When you pass by a monument that has gone blue for WDD think about your own health and that of your family members. Reflect on the importance of diet and exercise. Then join the fight to end the epidemic and the toll it takes on your fellow Kentuckians.
That’s our message to you, Diabetes. Look for us Nov. 14. We will have the lights on for you.
Bob Babbage is a former Kentucky state auditor and secretary of state. He is the managing partner of Babbage Cofounder.
Stewart Perry is former chair of the American Diabetes Association National Board of Directors. He is co-owner of Stewart Perry State Farm Insurance of Lexington.