The Wright Center Launches Program for Developing Type 2 Diabetes Patients Members News December 12, 2024 The Wright Center for Community Health is launching a free, 26-session lifestyle modification program in January to help people prevent or delay the onset of Type 2 diabetes. The Wright Center, in partnership with the Northeast Pennsylvania Area Health Education Center (NE PA AHEC) and Quality Insights, is offering the National Diabetes Prevention Program. The evidence-based program helps individuals with prediabetes lower their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. The first session is on Thursday, Jan. 23, at 5:30 p.m. at The Wright Center for Community Health Mid Valley, 5 S. Washington Ave., Jermyn. The program will meet weekly for the first six months, followed by bi-weekly or monthly sessions for the remaining six months. Participation is open to everyone, with an option to participate virtually. An estimated 88 million – more than 1 in 3 – American adults have prediabetes, a condition where blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed as Type 2 diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). More than 80% of people with prediabetes do not know they have it. “Type 2 diabetes is a serious, chronic condition that can lead to health issues such as heart disease, stroke, blindness, and kidney failure,” said Melissa Germano, a registered dietician, licensed dietician nutritionist, and the director of lifestyle and preventive medicine at The Wright Center. “Our program will teach participants the skills they need to get healthier and reduce their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.” Research has shown the National Diabetes Prevention Program, which the CDC developed, can reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by 58% for people 18-59 and by 71% for those 60 and older. A specially trained lifestyle coach leads the program, teaching participants how to make lasting lifestyle changes by changing eating habits, increasing physical activity, developing skills to cope with stress, and more. “The program gives participants personalized support that empowers them to implement healthy behavior changes,” Germano said. “We thought the New Year would be a great time to launch the program to help people focus on their overall health and make changes for a healthier lifestyle throughout the year.” NE PA AHEC Health Educator Valerie Williams said her organization has offered the National Diabetes Prevention Program for years and decided to partner with The Wright Center to reach more people. “We have a high number of people with prediabetes and diabetes in our area,” Williams said. “We need to educate our community because many people don’t realize they have prediabetes and that they can postpone the onset of Type 2 diabetes.” To qualify for the program, participants must be 18 or older; have a body mass index, commonly known as BMI, of 25 or higher (23 or higher for Asian-American patients); have no prior diagnosis of Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes or end-stage kidney disease; and cannot be pregnant. Participants must also meet at least one of the following: Had a blood test result in the prediabetes range within the past year (includes any of these tests and results): Hemoglobin A1C: 5.7%–6.4% Fasting plasma glucose: 100–125 mg/dL Two-hour plasma glucose (after a 75g glucose load): 140–199 mg/dL Be previously diagnosed with gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy) Received a high-risk result (score of 5 or higher) on a prediabetes risk test at www.cdc.gov/prediabetes/risktest/index.html Anyone who qualifies for the program and is interested in enrolling in the in-person classes or a virtual component can contact Germano at germanom@TheWrightCenter.org or 570-892-8598. The Wright Center, headquartered in Scranton, has a growing network of community health centers in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wayne, and Wyoming counties, including a mobile medical and dental unit called Driving Better Health, to ensure everyone has access to affordable, high-quality, nondiscriminatory whole-person primary health services. To make an appointment or for more information, visit TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-342-5353.
