COUNCIL, Idaho- The Program Coordinator of the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) at Adams County Health Center (ACHC) is offering a free informational session about the program for members of the community in the ACHC conference room on Tuesday, August 12, at 5:00 p.m..
The purpose of this informational session is for people to learn more about the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recognized DPP, who may be eligible for the program, and to talk about signing up for the no-cost-to-the-participant course that will begin at ACHC in September of 2025.
“I am excited to have the opportunity to once again be able to offer the CDC-recognized DPP course at ACHC this September said Susan Goudie-Adams, Licensed Practical Nurse and Chronic Care Manager, who is ACHC’s DPP lifestyle coach. “Teaching this community about diabetes and its prevention is a passion of mine, and the DPP is a proven way for people to learn the necessary skills and lifestyles changes needed to prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes. It is my hope that members of the community who are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes will come to this informational session to see if this program is the right fit for them.”
DPP teaches that weight loss is the best way to decrease the risk of being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. The informational session will discuss how the program emphasizes that fact by encouraging members to work together as a team to support each other to reach weight loss goals and to stay motivated to take charge of their own health to prevent being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
“I encourage anyone who is interested in being a part of ACHC’s DPP to attend the informational session,” said Goudie-Adams. “It is the best way to find out if you are eligible for the program, and it also allows attendees to ask specific questions related to their own situation.”
ACHC’s fourth DPP class is scheduled to graduate next month and has been a success with members reaching their weight loss and lifestyle goals. During the course, students learned that weight loss can not only help them prevent becoming a type 2 diabetic, but that losing weight can also help lower blood pressure and cholesterol, which leads to an even healthier lifestyle.
“I always tell my patients that type 2 diabetes is an extremely time-consuming health issue that is expensive both mentally and financially,” said Goudie-Adams. “Many people do not realize that once they are diagnosed with diabetes, every single decision made throughout the day is affected by it. This is why I feel it is so important to prevent type 2 diabetes before it begins, and the DPP is the best way to learn how to prevent such a major life-changing event from occurring.”
The DPP aims for participants to lose 5-7 percent of their body weight by teaching skills such as how to fit exercise into their daily routine in order to lose weight, ways to eat a healthy diet by adding more fruits and vegetables, and how to prevent type 2 diabetes through other CDC-approved curriculum.
“The DPP is a fantastic course that teaches people how to lose weight naturally, and that weight loss is the key to preventing type 2 diabetes,” said Goudie-Adams. “The program creates a judgment-free environment where participants can have group support and encouragement to reach their goals and learn how to make lifestyle changes.”
Due to the achievements made by course participants and the hard work put in by ACHC’s lifestyle coach, the DPP at ACHC has received recognition from the CDC, which means the clinic can now receive payments from Medicare for the program.
If a person has any questions about ACHC’s no-cost, CDC-recognized DPP course, Goudie-Adams highly recommends attending the informational session on Tuesday, August 12, at 5:00 p.m. If someone is unable to attend, he or she may call the clinic or email her at susang@achcid.org with any questions after the event has occurred.
ACHC is a Federally Qualified Health Center that strives to provide high quality health care services to residents and visitors of Adams, Washington, Valley, Idaho and surrounding counties. With healthcare facilities few and far between, ACHC offers an array of services to meet the healthcare needs of everyone, regardless of social or economic status. Some of the services ACHC currently offers are primary care, dental, pharmacy, laboratory, optometry, behavioral health, physical therapy, diabetes care, immunizations, financial and insurance.
