Alabama
The Poarch Creek Indian Community
Community Diabetes Support Group
Community Diabetes Support Group
Local Impact - North Carolina
Cynthia Lambert, Program Manager
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
Cherokee, North Carolina
“Before SDPI, a diabetic patient was seen in the outpatient setting… [t]here was no individualized care for the diabetic patient.”
–Cynthia Lambert
Before SDPI, a diabetic patient was seen in the outpatient setting in the Cherokee Indian Hospital. There were no group activities or education for diabetics and they were treated as any other patient with an appointment. There was no individualized care for our diabetic patients.
Now, we operate a successful diabetes prevention and treatment program with two SDPI grants; the first and largest is a Community Directed grant and the second is a Healthy Heart Initiative grant. We also work closely with Cherokee Choices (a diabetes prevention program that has banned fast food at our schools), revamped the school menus to include more fresh fruits and vegetables, and sponsored the “Remember the Removal” bicycle ride. This ride is a healing community event where riders bike the path that was taken during the removal period to Oklahoma. We partner in these efforts in addition to the work we are able to do with SDPI funding.
As the main component of the Community Directed program, we serve the diabetic population of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians by providing a clinic that meets the individual needs of each patient. We use an integrated team approach to healthcare with each provider having the support of an RN/case manager, an LPN in the clinic and a case management support staff.
The patients involved in the Healthy Heart Initiative are provided with a more intensive partnership with staff members and are encouraged to work with the exercise specialist for individual attention. We often provide cooking demonstrations, hikes in the park, campfire ghost stories and bowling. Some of these events are open to the public as recruitment activities and education concerning diabetes is provided to the community during the events.
In the past, we were able to provide money for diabetic supplies, equipment for the clinic and incentives to participate in community programs. We changed our oversight entity in October 2013 for the health and medical division to the Cherokee Indian Hospital. The Hospital is committed to keep the clinic functioning and serving the diabetic population of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee.
