Baton Rouge General Partners with the CDC to Help Louisianans At Risk for Type 2 Diabetes

Baton Rouge, La. – Baton Rouge General (BRG) announced today that the organization is partnering with the Centers of Disease Control (CDC) to pilot a year-long Diabetes Prevention Program to assist people at risk for diabetes.

Consistently ranked in the top 10 states with the most people with type 2 diabetes, Louisiana’s diagnoses of the adult-onset disease continue to trend upward. While 6.5% of residents had diabetes in 1998, we’re now at 13.9% – translating to approximately 520,000 people living with the condition.

Twelve at-risk Baton Rougeans are participating in BRG’s Diabetes Prevention Program pilot class, consisting of 26 group sessions that focus on proper nutrition, physical fitness and stress management. Throughout the year, participants meet on BRG’s Bluebonnet campus and receive support from a lifestyle coach, insight from physician guest speakers, and tips from the hospital’s dietitians and fitness team.

Family Medicine Specialist Dr. Wayne Gravois with Baton Rouge General Physicians – Family Health Center medically supervises the program. “Whether you’ve already been diagnosed with prediabetes or are concerned that this diagnosis is in your future, making changes now can help you avoid some of its scary complications like kidney damage, vision loss and heart disease,” said Dr. Gravois. “A year might seem like a long commitment, but a lifetime of managing an irreversible disease is even longer.”

The CDC requires that participants be at least 18 years old, have a body mass index above 25, have no previous diagnosis of type 1 or type 2 diabetes, and have tested in the prediabetic range within the past year. Although BRG’s initial class is full, please contact Rachel Punch at (225) 819-1177 or Rachel.Punch@brgeneral.org if you are interested in joining a waiting list for future classes.

For more information on the accredited Diabetes Education Program that BRG established in 2013, visit BRGeneral.org/service/wellness/diabetes-education.

About Baton Rouge General Medical Center
Baton Rouge General Medical Center is the area’s first community hospital with 588 licensed beds between two campuses. Baton Rouge General opened its doors in 1900, and has provided the Greater Baton Rouge community with high-quality healthcare for generations. Established in 1970, Baton Rouge General's Regional Burn Center is one of only 125 burn centers in the U.S. verified by the American Burn Association and plays an integral role in supporting other Gulf Coast states when the need arises. Baton Rouge General has been an accredited teaching hospital since 1991, with medical education programs including a School of Nursing, School of Radiologic Technology, Family Medicine Residency Program, Internal Medicine Residency Program, and Sports Medicine Fellowship Program. For more information, visit BRGeneral.org, find us on Facebook at Facebook.com/BatonRougeGeneral and follow us on Twitter at @BRGeneral.