For Immediate Release:
April 5, 2006

Contact:
Nanci Gonder
Office of Public Information
573-751-6062

Missouri recognized for efforts to address diabetes
State achieves national Healthy People 2010 goal

Missouri has been recognized by the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for reaching a milestone in the treatment of diabetes. The state has achieved the Healthy People 2010 goal for people with diabetes who have obtained specific blood tests essential to effectively treating the disease.

To reach the Healthy People 2010 goal, at least 65 percent of Missouri residents who have diabetes must have received two or more A1C blood tests in a year's time.

"The A1C test is crucial for people with diabetes, and we are pleased that so many Missourians have received at least two of these tests in a year," said Jo Anderson, coordinator of the Missouri Diabetes Prevention and Control program at the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. "“The efforts of many people throughout the state helped Missouri achieve this important goal."

The A1C test helps doctors determine the best treatment for people with diabetes. The test measures a person's average blood glucose level during approximately the past 90 days and should be done two to four times a year, as recommended by a health care provider.

More than 315,000 Missourians have diabetes, and that number is on the rise. Diabetes is the state's fifth leading cause of death.

Healthy People 2010, developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, serves as a road map for improving the overall health of people across the country in the first decade of the new century. Diabetes is one of 28 health-related areas targeted for improvement by the plan.

Missouri achieved the Healthy People 2010 goal for A1C testing by working with community coalitions, health care providers and managed care companies to raise awareness about the importance of the test and encourage people with diabetes to be tested.

The state health department also worked on quality improvement projects related to diabetes treatment with the Missouri Primary Care Association and its community health centers located throughout the state as well as Primaris, a nonprofit health improvement organization in Missouri. Registries were established to track and record the number of Missourians with diabetes, those receiving A1C tests and other preventive care services.

In addition, information about the treatment of diabetes has been included in Missouri's Managed Care Performance Monitoring system, which documents the level of care provided by the state's health care maintenance organizations (HMOs).

Although Missouri has reached the A1C goal, the state is still working to achieve several other goals vital to the successful management of diabetes and its complications. Those goals include annual comprehensive foot exams, eye exams and flu shots. In addition, people with diabetes should receive a pneumonia vaccination, a shot most people need to obtain just once in their lives.

"We encourage people with diabetes to talk with their health care providers about these important tests and exams and choose health insurance providers that cover these types of services," Anderson said. "With proper care, most people with diabetes can live long and healthy lives."

More information about diabetes can be found at www.dhss.mo.gov/diabetes. Missouri's Managed Care Performance Monitoring guides can be found at www.dhss.mo.gov/ManagedCare/. Information about Healthy People 2010 can be found at www.healthypeople.gov/