baylor scott & white health
Health Care Reimagined
taking control of diabetes
Barbara Cornelius , 71 , has coped with diabetes for about a decade . Her daughter encouraged her to check out the Baylor Scott & White Health and Wellness Center at Juanita J . Craft Recreation Center . She ’ s glad she did .
“ I ’ m so pleased with the entire program ,” said the retired home health care nurse . “ My diabetes has improved and stabilized . The diabetes educator has been excellent . And I am impressed with the doctor .”
Barbara ’ s counselors have persuaded her of the importance of exercise consistency in controlling her condition . She does strength training and aerobic conditioning two to three times a week at the facility , where she can also see her physician . She has been at it for about a year .
About one out of every 12 Dallas metropolitan area adults has diagnosed diabetes . An estimated three more have prediabetes , with blood glucose levels higher than normal but not high enough to be called diabetes . These numbers are expected to rise in the Dallas-Fort Worth area .
The Health and Wellness Center represents a $ 15 million initial investment by Baylor Scott & White to combat the disease through screening , prevention and ongoing care . It ’ s a joint effort with the City of Dallas . The innovative facility combines nutrition education , exercise classes and clinical care under one roof to make diabetes control convenient and affordable .
The facility is located in a 22-acre park with a half-mile walking trail , a football field , a baseball field and tennis courts . In the center are a gymnasium , weight room , aerobics room and a teaching kitchen . Primary care is delivered in a clinic with a spacious patient lobby , exam rooms , a procedure room and a family health counseling room .
Since opening in 2010 , the Health and Wellness Center has served more than 5,500 people . Its main service area covers four Southern Dallas ZIP codes where the diabetes rate is twice as high as that of Dallas County . A 2015 study of Health and Wellness Center members found a 17 percent reduction in emergency department usage and a 31 percent reduction in hospital admissions . About 40 percent of active members achieved normal blood sugar levels , and about three out of four active members achieved normal blood pressure .
“ I wish I had started sooner .” — Barbara Cornelius
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