Another Successful Collaboration Between Manitouwadge Diabetes Program and CNIB Eye Van
Resistance bands were available, and used by visitors, in in the waiting room for Eye Van. Photos Jackie Jung, RN CDE MDHWP
MANITOUWADGE, ON – The CNIB Eye Van is a welcome site to residents when it visits Manitouwadge annually to provide specialized eye screening and care services. As it rolls 6,000 km across Northern Ontario it visits more than 30 remote communities. Staffed by a rotating team of visiting ophthalmologists and two CNIB ophthalmic assistants, the Eye Van provides vision screening, treatments and minor surgery to an average of 5,000 people every season. 90% of patients screened on the Eye Van are identified with conditions that could lead to serious vision loss if left untreated.
For many years, the Manitouwadge Diabetes Program, a member program of the Northern Diabetes Health Network (NDHN) & the CNIB Eye Van have partnered to improve access to the Eye Van’s critical eye care services for people living with diabetes in our community.
This support was done in various ways, such as providing education sessions during the Eye Van visit, completing the required CNIB Eye Van referral forms for all diabetes patients registered with the MDHWP. This huge task – approximately 250 referral forms is seen as such a vital part of our patient care.
In 2010 a new initiative by the Ministry through the Ontario Diabetes Strategy saw the NDHN and CNIB Eye Van officially launch a new Diabetes Education & Screening Collaborative. Since then MDHWP Program staff have been working side by side with their colleagues from the CNIB Mobile Eye Van to provide a “one stop shopping” model of care for clients. It pprovided people with the opportunity to access diabetes education and management services and vision care at one site and improved efficiency by connecting people with the health care services they required.
The MDHWP staff provided screening and education about risk factors for developing prediabetes and diabetes. Through blood sugar testing and a risk factor questionnaire people were identified to be at risk or not at risk of diabetes. We connected with diabetes patients as we discussed healthy eating, talked about foot care, checked meters and answered questions prior to the person being seen the CNIB Eye Van ophthalmologist and staff.
Recipe make-over session with Registered Dietitian Christine Young. Photos Jackie Jung, RN CDE MDHWP
Manitouwadge Diabetes Health & Wellness Program Footcare Conversation Map session. Photos Jackie Jung, RN CDE MDHWP
Foot Care Conversation Map session. Photos Jackie Jung, RN CDE MDHWP
NEW for 2012
This year, with the folding of our local Lion’s Club, new partnerships were developed to allow this valuable service to continue. The Manitouwadge General Hospital, The Manitouwadge Family Health Team and the Manitouwadge Diabetes Health & Wellness Program stepped up to take on varied responsibilities. The MFHT took on the huge role of making all the bookings and the Hospital handled all the set-up of electrical, phone lines and Van set-up. MDHWP continued with the referral process for diabetes patients along with advertising, volunteer recruitment, training and the organizing and running of the Reception and Screening during the Eye Van days. Many thanks to the volunteers of the Lion’s Club for the years of work they did, as we all realize now what a daunting job it is!
Our new site at the Hospital worked well and we had many positive comments about the new location. New volunteers were found for the Reception Desk and we could not have done this without these great ladies! Well over 240 people were seen at the Eye Van during the 6 days, between September September 6th – 14th, and we were booked up in no time with much care given to trying to fit those with possible eye disease into the busy schedule.
The MDHWP continued with its screening and education role and 172 people were seen by our Program Staff through Eye Van collaboration. 50 of those were NON-Eye Van people that dropped in from the community, due to screening advertising and education sessions.
75 non-diabetes people were screened for diabetes and 69 of those had at least 1 risk factor (most with more that), with only 6 people with no risks factors. Those with risk factors were given education about decreasing those risks and prevention of diabetes. This large number at risk shows the need for the promotion of healthy lifestyles and awareness for people in our community. People with elevated blood sugar tests were sent for further lab work and their Doctors notified.
EDUCATION
A number of unique educational sessions were held and open to all in our community. Topics were Recipe Make Over, The Plate Method for losing weight and diabetes management, Fibre is your friend, How to check your feet for people with diabetes and a very popular one – Let’s Move using Resistance Bands. A total of 48 attended these group sessions.
The MDHWP thanks all our partners and volunteers to helping to make this year’s visit a great success and we look forward to seeing the Eye Van roll back into Manitouwadge in 2013!
MORE INFO
The Manitouwadge Diabetes Health & Wellness Program is funded and supported by the Northern Diabetes Health Network. Their services include:
- provide diabetes education, counseling and support services for people with diabetes, their families and caregivers
- No referral is necessary
- work as a team with your physician, the lab and pharmacy
- encourage healthy living and prevention of diabetes in the community by education and promoting public awareness
If you would like to learn more about the programs and services of the Manitouwadge Diabetes Health and Wellness Program, contact:
- Certified Diabetes Educator Jackie Jung RN at (807) 826-3251 Ext.208,
- Visit their office at the Manitouwadge General Hospital
- Check out them out online at www.ManitouwadgeDiabetes.org
