A Happy & Healthy 2015
Our mission is to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes.
Presented by Susan Polikoff
Director, Delaware, American Diabetes Association
New Year’s resolutions, sneakers, carrot and celery sticks, protein shakes, exercise equipment, and all things pointing to the move to improve that clutter our minds, refrigerators, cars and homes. Whether our primary concern is our health, appearance, or both, losing just 10-15 pounds and getting 30 minutes of exercise five days a week can prevent or delay diabetes in people with pre-diabetes. Twenty five percent of adults 20+ years of age or older have diagnosed or undiagnosed pre-diabetes. Diabetes is a serious and costly epidemic that poses a major public health problem. The American Diabetes Association believes that if we are to truly make an impact against this devastating disease we must engage our communities on every level, in every facet of our mission.
One of ADA’s strategic partners locally is Blood Bank of Delmarva (BBD). BBD supplies life saving blood and blood products to the hospitals in the Delmarva region as well as some in adjacent areas. Being one of the first blood centers in the country to do so, BBD over the last ten years has offered its donors the opportunity to have their glucose levels tested when they donate blood. In that span of time, almost 100,000 donors have taken advantage of this option. More importantly, over 19,000 of those tested were advised to contact their primary care physician to share their results, and potentially begin treatment. ADA and BBD believe services such as this are making a significant difference in the lives of people in our community and aids in working toward a healthier and better informed population.
The American Diabetes Association thanks the Blood Bank of Delmarva for their passion and commitment to our mission, in addition to some of our other key partners including AstraZeneca, Christiana Care Health System, Eli Lilly, Morris James LLP, Walgreens, The New Castle County Women’s Journal, The State of Delaware, Delaware Today and Highmark BlueCross BlueShield of Delaware.
My personal thanks to Delaware’s 2014 Leadership Board; Jim Lenhard, MD, Andrew Bianchino, CJ Jones, Tony Uniatowski, Nash Childs, A. Kimberly Hoffman, Ron Morris, Angi Feldman, Scott Wilcox, Lisa Lindsay, Charlie Tomlinson, Bob Cox, and Michael McGill, without whom we would not have made the significant impact we did in our great state last year.
Have a happy and healthy 2015.
Diabetes is a common disease:
Approximately 75,000 adults, or 8.10% of Delaware’s adult population, have diagnosed diabetes.
Adults without diabetes who are overweight and not physically active are at risk of developing diabetes
64% of all adults in Delaware are overweight or obese
Diabetes is a serious disease:
People with diabetes in Delaware suffer from many diabetes-related complications, including lower extremity amputation, end-stage renal disease, and blindness due to diabetic retinopathy.
If current trends continue, one in three US adults could have diabetes by the year 2050.
Diabetes is a costly disease:
People diagnosed with diabetes have medical expenses that are approximately 2.3 times higher than people who do not have diabetes.
Individuals with diabetes spent approximately $13,700 on medical costs in 2012.
In 2012, diabetic expenses in Delaware totaled $860 million, and indirect expenses, such as lost productivity and premature mortality, totaled over $260 million.
Susan’s career is reflective of her commitment to the health and wellbeing of our community. Since 2001 she has locally, and across the Delmarva Peninsula, implemented education and awareness programs, educated corporate and community citizens, and facilitated signature fund raising events. Working collaboratively with community leaders, corporate executives, volunteers, countless businesses, and local organizations, she has raised in excess of $10 million.
Ms. Polikoff earned her Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership from Wilmington University, and is also a University of Delaware alumnus. She is an active member of the Rotary Club of Wilmington and a volunteer for the Delaware Symphony Orchestra. She lives in Newark with her husband Jim, and their twin felines.
Susan chose to further her professional journey by joining the American Diabetes Association in 2013. The prevalence of the disease and the astounding rate of growth coupled with limited awareness and underfunded research was the challenge she needed to join the organization and facilitate the growth of the Delaware office that will meet the needs of our community.
Diabetes is a serious and costly epidemic that poses a major public health problem. The American Diabetes Association believes that if we are to truly make an impact against this devastating disease we must engage our communities on every level, in every facet of our mission
Are you or someone you know at risk for diabetes? Go to our website,
www.diabetes.org and take our Type 2 Diabetes Risk test.
To speak with someone in our Wilmington office, please call 302-656-0030, x4648.
Sources:
American Diabetes Association Diabetes Cost Calculator. http://www.disbetesarchive.net/advocacy-and legalresources/cost-of-diabetes.jsp
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention State Profiles, 2005. http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/states
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention State Survelliance Data, 2010. http:/apps.nccd.cdc.gov;DDTSTRS/StateSurvData.aspx
