HARLINGEN, Texas - The Valley Baptist Legacy Foundation (VBLF) has awarded $30 million grant to UT-Rio Grande Valley to establish the UTRGV Diabetes Center of Excellence.
The aim is to address the critical health crisis posed by the widespread prevalence of diabetes in the Rio Grande Valley.
The new center will be built near the Institute of Neuroscience in Harlingen and will be designed to combat diabetes through collaborative disease management, research and education.
The grant announcement was made at a press conference held in Harlingen at the UT Health RGV Institute of Neuroscience.
Judy Quisenberry is VBLF’s executive director. Asked why her organization is making the donation to UTRGV, Quisenberry told the Rio Grande Guardian:
“For one, we just feel like they (UTRGV) are a regional organization who has probably the best ability to make significant health change across the region with the distributed model and a school of medicine. We're just going to betting big that they're going to be able to do some of these things (we need to see happen in the Valley).”
Statistics from the UTRGV Border Health Office and Unidos Contra Diabetes, a community partnership based in Weslaco, show that about 25% of the Valley’s population is living with diabetes, and nearly 30% are dangerously close to a pre-diabetic diagnosis. That puts more than 50% of Valley residents at risk for diabetes-related complications like kidney disease, limb amputation, retinopathy and dementia.
Moises Arjona, Jr., collective impact director for Unidos Contra Diabetes, said of the UTRGV announcement:
"This is fantastic news. The establishment of the UTRGV Diabetes Center of Excellence in Harlingen is a significant milestone for the Rio Grande Valley (RGV). This center will undoubtedly play a crucial role in addressing the high diabetes rates in the region.
"It’s inspiring to see such a substantial investment aimed at improving community health. With collective efforts and this new resource, the goal of reducing new incidences of type 2 diabetes by 10 percent in the RGV seems much more attainable. This initiative will not only provide much-needed care but also foster a sense of hope and progress within the community."
Arjona said of his group: "Unidos Contra la Diabetes is a collective impact, community partnership dedicated to preventing diabetes in the Rio Grande Valley. We bring people together in a structured way to achieve social, behavioral, and sustainable community change. Unidos Contra la Diabetes (UCD) began in 2014 as a group of community leaders who wanted to improve the lives of the Rio Grande Valley. Looking at upstream, strategic, and sustainable changes, the group made its mission to focus on prediabetes and the prevention of diabetes. The work we do with our partners is key for our success as a collective impact initiative."
In her interview with the Guardian, Quisenberry said the idea for a Diabetes Center of Excellence came from UTRGV. She said her board of directors liked the proposal for several reasons.
“Number one, it's very, very collaborative in nature. So not only does it draw from multiple areas within the university's expertise, social work, the School of Podiatry, the School of Medicine, the School of Nursing, research, all of those parts of the university will be involved,” Quisenberry said.
“But it also pulls in local primary care physicians, specialists and our community based organizations. Unidos Contra Diabetes, for example, is a collective impact project that is a regional organization that has partners that stretch the whole Rio Grande Valley who are all interested in the prevention of diabetes.
“So, by wrapping in all of those people and even non-traditional people like community health workers in order to educate and bring awareness to the problem, I'm hoping that's a better approach for everything we've done, because we're not pulling our numbers down like we'd like.”
Quisenberry said diabetes is the number one health issue in the Rio Grande Valley.
“And the thing about it is, the things that are risk factors for diabetes are also risk factors for cardiac disease, for all sorts of things. So, if we can reduce those risk factors for diabetes, we reduce the risk factors for a lot of chronic disease.”
Quisenberry said one of her pet peeves is that too many people do not know what their HbA1c number is. HbA1c is one’s average blood glucose (sugar) levels for the last two to three months. If one has diabetes, an ideal HbA1c level is 48mmol/mol (6.5 percent) or below.
“Your doctor would order it as part of your lab work if he felt like you were at risk. What I'd like to see happen is that particular screening be ordered anytime someone gets their traditional lab work ordered,” Quisenberry said
“Currently, it's not paid for unless the doctor feels like you're at risk for it, but in Texas, everyone is at risk for it, because our diet just puts us in that risk category.”
Quisenberry said Texas ranks high in the nation for diabetes.
“Testing for HbA1c would require a policy change, so it's a Medicare, Medicaid kind of payment thing. It is currently not reimbursed to the lab, unless it is physician ordered, and the physician must have a risk to it to be able to order it,” Quisenberry said.
“In my view, it should be across the board, anytime anybody gets their regular CBC labs done the HbA1c should just be a part of it. Just like all your cardiac stuff is, when you get your lab work, you know what your cholesterol is, your good and your bad and all that kind of stuff, HbA1c should be right in there.
“I will say that on blue in the face, that needs to just be a part of regular screening but in order for it to be a part of the regular screening the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare need to pay for it.”
Quisenberry said VBLF is also pleased that UTRGV is going to create a limb salvage center as part of the project.
“Dr. Bailey said today in the press conference that there are two amputations done a day in the Rio Grande Valley as a result of diabetes. So, if we can reduce those numbers… when people have an amputation, they sometimes lose their ability to work, their families to care for them in a different way, and it has a big ripple effect for the whole family. If we can stop diabetes before it gets that bad, then we change the way people live. If we can prevent dialysis for so many people, then their quality of life is significantly improved,” Quisenberry said.
UTRGV President Guy Bailey said the Limb Preservation Clinic will be focused on early detection, intervention and wound care. He said that in collaboration with the UTRGV School of Podiatric Medicine, the clinic will deliver specialized limb preservation services to fill a critical gap in care and address the urgent need for amputation prevention.
“Each limb we save has the potential to save a life, preserve a livelihood and empower families to thrive,” Bailey said. “This new initiative will make a profound difference in the lives of countless families across our communities, and UTRGV is honored to provide this access to transformative healthcare.”
Bailey pointed out that the Limb Preservation Clinic will be one of only two in the state of Texas. The other, a limb salvage clinic, is located at UT Southwestern Medical Center.
According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, there were 3,863 diabetic major amputations in the Rio Grande Valley from 2011-2016 – an average of two amputations per day during that period.
Dr. Kelly Nassour, UTRGV executive vice president for Institutional Advancement, said the university recognizes the limitations of community resources, like limited funding and a lack of coordination, in addressing the diabetes crisis.
“The UTRGV Diabetes Center of Excellence is a significant step forward in bridging gaps and advancing the understanding and management of diabetes in our community,” she said. “This center will include clinical research and community outreach, along with education and training. It is an important step in the journey to health and wellness for South Texas and beyond.”
Nassour said that through the Diabetes Center of Excellent the community can expect comprehensive clinical care, staffed by a multidisciplinary team of professionals who will address the many clinical manifestations of diabetes. An important focus for the center will be early detection and prevention.
Nassour said the center will recruit and train diabetologists, behavioral health specialists, endocrinologists, podiatrists, researchers and community health workers to expand access to healthcare and boost the diabetic care workforce.
As a full-service facility, it also will provide specialized services in podiatry and endocrinology to address diabetes-related complications.
Dr. Bailey expressed his gratitude to the Valley Baptist Legacy Foundation, a pivotal university partner that has awarded UTRGV $90 million since 2015.
“Their generous support allows UTRGV to provide innovative solutions and comprehensive care,” he said. “It allows us to continue to improve health outcomes and reduce the burden of this chronic disease in our Valley community.”
The UTRGV Diabetes Center of Excellence will be a cross-college collaboration with the UTRGV School of Medicine, UTRGV School of Podiatric Medicine, UTRGV School of Nursing, College of Health Professions, School of Social Work and School of Nursing.
