Wednesday, May 15, 2024
5/15/2024
The Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska is located on a federally established reservation covering approximately 12,038 acres across remote rural portions of Brown and Doniphan counties in northeast Kansas and Richardson county in southeast Nebraska. The Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska entered into a self-governance compact with IHS to transition White Cloud Health Station to the White Cloud Health Clinic as a tribally operated clinic in June 2019. This has been a great asset to the SDPI program, which the Tribe has delegated to be administered by the clinic, led by the Diabetes Coordinator who has also been the Director of Nursing and the Public Health Nurse for the past 14 years at the clinic. An estimated 717 AI/AN people within the community receive healthcare from White Cloud Health Center. With 81 patients on the diabetes registry, the clinic has an estimated diabetes prevalence of 11.3%. The SDPI team has selected the best practice of comprehensive foot exams because practicing good foot care is crucial to reduce the incidences of lower extremity amputation amongst diabetic patients. By focusing on increasing the number of foot exams for our best practice, we can provide patients with educational information about keeping their feet healthy, provide screening to assess risk for nerve and vascular damage, provide treatment that includes risk-appropriate evaluation and monitoring, and provide referrals to foot care specialists which patients will be able to access through planned regular on-site specialty clinic days with a contracted podiatrist and pedorthotist. Additional activities that the SDPI program will be providing include diabetes related education, physical activity education, eye exams, and dental exams. These activities will be accomplished in collaboration with our clinic pharmacist who is newly certified in Medication Therapy Management as well as through contractual partnerships that include an orthotics vendor for custom-m ade diabetic shoes; a podiatrist for on-site foot exams and foot care; a local optometrist to provide annual dilated retinal exams; and a local certified personal fitness trainer to provide individual and group education along with fun exercise activities to help reduce the risk for developing diabetes and its complications.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
