CDC Certifies Diabetes Prevention Program At McHenry County Health Department

Press release from the McHenry County Health Department:

WOODSTOCK — The McHenry County Department of Health (MCDH) has earned full recognition from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for its community diabetes prevention program.

To ensure high quality, the CDC recognizes lifestyle change programs that meet certain standards and show results can be achieved. Qualifying standards include following an approved curriculum, facilitation by a trained lifestyle coach and submitting data every 6 months to show that the program is having an impact.

The CDC Diabetes Prevention program has been offered by MCDH lifestyle trained coaches Carol Waggoner, RN and Bridget Hoffmann for the past 3 years to participants who are at risk for type 2 diabetes, at no cost. Risk factors for type 2 diabetes include being overweight, lack of physical activity, unhealthy diet, tobacco use, increasing age and women who have had gestational diabetes. Research shows that participating in a CDC-recognized lifestyle change program can cut your risk of type 2 diabetes in half.

Nursing Director Susan Karras said she is grateful for the recognition and is working with staff to begin offering the classes virtually during the pandemic.

“This recognition represents the dedication of our staff and the quality of programs we are developing to improve the health of McHenry County residents. We will continue this program by coming up with new ways to safely provide it during the pandemic,” Karras said. “We are dedicated to empowering McHenry County residents to improve their health by providing them with the knowledge and support they need.”

MCDH also offers other no cost evidenced-based diabetes management and prevention classes in English and Spanish to empower individuals to take charge of the management of their health.

For more information about MCDH’s community diabetes prevention and management programs, contact Carol Waggoner RN at 815-334-4580.

This press release was produced by the McHenry County Health Department. The views expressed here are the author’s own.