CHCS Perspectives Winter 2014

PERSPECTIVES • WINTER 2014 – Page 11 Introduction: Overview of NSU’s Commitment to Community Engagement NSU is committed to community engagement. In 2010, the university was one of 115 colleges and universities nationally to earn The Carnegie Foundation for the Advance- ment of Teaching’s 2010 Community Engagement Classification. According to Anthony Bryk, Ed.D., president of the Carnegie Foundation, “The clas- sification acknowledges significant commitment to and demonstration of community en- gagement.” Colleges and universities receiving this classification have demonstrated their commitment to improving teaching and learning and generating socially responsive ini- tiatives that serve their communities. One way the NSU College of Health Care Sciences is demonstrating its commitment to community engagement is through the development and implementation of the In- terprofessional Diabetes Education and Awareness (IDEA) Initiative, which began in 2011 with students and faculty members from the physician assistant, occupational therapy, physical therapy, anesthesiology assistant, medical sonography, nursing, and audiology programs. In 2012, it was expanded to include the College of Pharmacy and College of Optometry as well as the College of Osteopathic Medicine along with its Master of Public Health Program. The College of Health Care Sciences strives to provide professionals with the skills nec- essary for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease and disability in order to assure optimum health conditions in the community and beyond. With an unwavering commitment to ethical practice and in support of the NSU core values, the college en- deavors to advance research, scholarship, and the development of leadership skills utilizing traditional educational methods, distance learning, and innovative combinations of both to achieve its educational goals. The initiative is designed to fulfill the mission of the col- lege while building on best practices in leadership development, interprofessional educa- tion, and engagement best practices. Diabetes: A National Epidemic According to the study entitled “Economic Costs of Diabetes in the U.S. in 2012,” dia- betes has reached epidemic magnitudes with 25.8 million children and adults who have been diagnosed with the disease. Additionally, 79 million people have prediabetes—a con- dition that increases their risk for developing type 2 diabetes—and there exists another es- timated 7 million who are undiagnosed. The report also indicated that medical expenditures for people with diabetes are 2.3 times higher than the costs for those without diabetes. According to the American Diabetes Association, total costs related to diagnosed dia- betes are estimated to have risen to $245 billion in 2012 from $174 billion in 2007. Sim- ilarly, total direct medical costs for treating diabetes in the United States are $176 billion. Indirect medical costs, which include absenteeism, reduced productivity, diabetes-related unemployment, and loss of productivity due to early mortality, are estimated to total $69 billion. This marks a 41 percent increase over the last five years, which is attributed to ris- ing rates of diabetes in the United States. It is projected that as many as one in three American adults will be living with diabetes in 2050. While Florida ranks fourth in the United States in terms of total population, it ranks second in costs related to diabetes at 18.9 million. According to Robert Ratner, M.D., chief scientific and medical officer of the American Diabetes Association, “As the number of people with diabetes grows, so does the economic burden it places on this country.” According to the study, the rate of obesity among adults has doubled since 1980—and obesity is the leading modifiable risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Even more concerning is the fact that obesity rates have tripled since 1980 among children and youth. It also is es- timated that 70 percent of American adults are considered overweight. The National In- stitutes of Health clinical trial called the Diabetes Prevention Program reported that moderate lifestyle adjustments were associated with weight loss of 5 to 7 percent in par- ticipants with prediabetes and could reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by 58 percent for those at high risk. In an effort to align the IDEA Initiative with best practices, the teams will be integrating the Diabetes Prevention Program materials into their workshops. By Terry Morrow, Ph.D., Assistant Dean of Student Affairs