Hispanics could gain from diabetes forum

Institute hosts forum on diabetes, kidney disease
BY MARGARET BICE/The Brownsville Herald, July 24, 2009

Representatives of Brownsville hospitals and Rio Grande Valley non-profit organizations gathered Friday at the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College Center for Civic Engagement to share information about diabetes and kidney disease.

The forum was part of the Texas Campaign for Kidney Health, hosted by the TMF Health Quality Institute. TMF Health Quality Institute is an Austin-based nonprofit consulting company, which promotes quality health care through contracts with the government at all levels, as well as with private organizations.

The campaign, a collaboration of five national and state organizations, is a result of the selection of Texas as one of 10 states by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to lead a demonstration project in the state. The project includes a clinical component of 353 physicians, clinical education, patient education and a focus on health disparities.

Topics covered Friday included kidney disease statistics in relation to diabetes, basic information about tests and screenings that all diabetics should undergo, discussions about needs and gaps in Brownsville diabetes care, and planned health events in the community.

Future events include a Health Literacy Symposium hosted by Healthy Communities, the city of Brownsville and the city of Matamoros. It will be held for a week in early October at locations throughout Brownsville. The symposium is expected to include healthy cooking and family exercise demonstrations and free medical screenings. It will be bilingual and free to the public.

According to Medicare claims data, one in four diabetics in the Rio Grande Valley are screened for kidney disease, a screening step the American Medical Association strongly endorses

Suggested measures for diabetics to preserve kidneys in good health include a GFR blood test, and annual urine microalbumin testing. Medicare claims data show that only 24.4 percent of diabetes patients in the Rio Grande Valley have microalbumin testing. "People with diabetes or high blood pressure should ask their doctor about evaluating their kidney function with a microalbumin test. This test can detect kidney issues long before patients show symptoms," said Smith.

If kidney problems are left untreated and unmonitored, they may develop into Chronic Kidney Disease, or CKD. Diabetes and high blood pressure are the two main causes of CKD, though anyone beyond the age of 60, patients with metabolic syndromes, autoimmune, systemic, and urinary tract infections, members of minorities and anyone with a family history of CKD are at risk, according to information provided at the forum.

The mission of the UTB-TSC Center for Civic Engagement is to create an engaged campus that connects faculty, staff, students and external partners in ways that help revitalize the community through service learning, volunteering, and community based scholarship in teaching and research.

Organizations present at the forum Friday included Healthy Communities, Innovex, the UT School of Public Health Brownsville Regional Campus, Proyecto Juan Diego, and Valley Baptist Medical Center.

For more information, contact the Texas Campaign for Kidney Health at 1-866-439-8863, email KidneyHealth@tmf.org.