New UAMS Initiative Trains Community Health Workers to Provide Diabetes Support in Rural Pharmacies
| The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Institute for Community Health Innovation launched a statewide initiative to train community health workers (CHWs) to provide diabetes support using the Diabetes Empowerment Education Program (DEEP) curriculum.
This training, which is part of a larger statewide initiative to empower local communities to improve diabetes management and outcomes, is designed to prepare CHWs for integration into pharmacies providing Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support (DSMES) services.
The Institute for Community Health Innovation partnered with the Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care (AFMC) to offer the first training session in September. During the three-day program, 15 CHWs learned more about the human body, diabetes management, facilitation techniques and other topics that will equip them to support patients in pharmacies across the state.
“This training provides vital skills and knowledge to CHWs serving communities across Arkansas that have very high rates of diabetes,” said Bonnie Faitak, director of community programs at the UAMS institute. “It allows CHWs to bring care directly to their community members.”
Through this initiative, funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), local pharmacies and clinics from 61 counties across Arkansas will be accredited to provide DSMES services, allowing them to offer personalized diabetes education to patients in their own communities. In the first year of the initiative, 10 pharmacies successfully completed the accreditation bootcamp, and one has become fully accredited to bill for DSMES services.
The American Diabetes Association reports that nearly 15% of Arkansans have been diagnosed with diabetes and that DSMES services could significantly improve their ability to manage their condition.
Another training session is scheduled for Jan 22-24 in Little Rock.