Helena indian alliance special diabetes project for indians - this grant funding has been invaluable to our american indian/alaska native community health care needs

Due to the persistent increase of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and chronic kidney disease in the AI/an population, this grant enables our clinic to better serve/support our people. The 2022 annual audit report showed a slight decrease from the 2021 annual audit report concerning blood pressure control. High blood pressure can increase the risk of diabetes complications, cardiovascular disease, and chronic kidney disease. Therefore, our program has chosen blood pressure control as the best practice to focus on. The target group consists of people diagnosed with diabetes that are native american, living in the lewis and clark county, MT area. This funding will allow our organization to assist our patients in preventing and controlling high blood pressure. This will be accomplished by lifestyle education, medication management, and access to blood pressure monitoring equipment. Additionally, this funding will aid in lipid management, diabetic retinopathy, and dental exams. All are integral components of diabetes management. The past two years have been challenging. The covid-19 pandemic isolated our communities and limited our clinic's ability to fully serve the needs of our patients. As restrictions are lifted, we anticipate increased number of patients visiting our facility and trusting US with their health care needs.