Our Focus
Our Mission
Our mission is to provide diabetes education programs, outreach activities, support groups, and to strengthen our partnerships with other community health agencies in addition help fill the gap between patient and their provider. We serve individuals managing their Type 1, Type 2, and prediabetes diagnosis.
SUPPORT. EMPOWER. ENCOURAGE.
Our goal is to SUPPORT individuals living with diabetes through our programs and outreach activities, EMPOWER individuals to live a healthy lifestyle, and ENCOURAGE individuals living with all types of diabetes.
MANAGING ALL TYPES TOGETHER:
- Adult Diabetes Support Group
- Diabetes Busters Program 3rd/4th Graders
- Muscatine Diabetes Walk (1st Friday evening in May)
- World Diabetes Day Outreach Events (November 14)
- A1c hemoglobin blood tests (free or reduced fee)
- Diabetes Cooking Sessions with Hy-Vee Food Store Dietitian
- Diabetes Supply Locker
- Walking Friends Group
- Live 5-2-1-0 Healthy Choices Count! (This program encourages healthy habits: www.iowahealthieststate.com/5210.)
TYPE 1 DIABETES FOCUSED:
- Diabetes Management At School Training
- Youth Diabetes Camp Scholarships
- Diabetes Emergency School Kits
- ConnecT1D Families Support Group
TYPE 2 DIABETES FOCUSED:
- 'Finding A Healthier You' Program partnership with the Muscatine Community YMCA, Hy-Vee Food Store & Trinity Muscatine Public Health
PREDIABETES FOCUSED:
- PreventT2 Diabetes Program (This program is designed to help participants make serious, evidence-based lifestyle changes, and is a part of the National Diabetes Prevention Program, led by the CDC)
Muscatine Diabetes Walk
We are proud to recognize all individuals living with their diabetes diagnosis.
DID YOU KNOW...that 2019 will be our 15th annual diabetes awareness Walk here in Muscatine County! Our early diabetes awareness partnership began when Kim Seligman and Dell Wagner collaborated to form the Watermelon Stampede Against Diabetes (2005-2008). With increasing diabetes awareness in the Quad Cities area growing, our relationship with JDRF Eastern Iowa Chapter formalized into Muscatine hosting 7 Walk to Cure Diabetes events from (2009-2015). Throughout 2005-2015 over $500K was raised for JDRF diabetes research that benefited many individuals living with diabetes.
In 2016, the volunteer non-profit organization, Muscatine Diabetes Project, was co-founded by Kim Seligman, who organized a volunteer advisory board to provide diabetes education programs, outreach activities, support groups, and to strengthen our partnerships with other community health agencies in the Muscatine County area. This will be the 4th Walk hosted by the Muscatine Diabetes Project, and the diabetes awareness advocacy journey that began through a tragedy continues to shine brightly in helping prevent diabetes and improve outcomes. All fundraising stays local unless otherwise stated.
Outreach & Programs
Diabetes Support Groups
Our goal is to support your diabetes journey and encourage a healthier you. We work together to connect you with the services you need. The Together We Can adult diabetes support group meets the second Tuesday of the month 6:00-7:00 PM at the Hy-Vee Club Room (2400 Second Ave.) and the Let's ConnecT1D Families support group meets quarterly.
Approximately 8,194 people in Muscatine County manage their diabetes diagnosis 24/7.
Finding A Healthier You
This 4-week course consists of:
- General Overview of Health Risks and Components of a Healthy Lifestyle.
- Exercise, Benefits of Physical Activity and How to Start.
- Basic Nutrition and tips for your food plan.
- Where do you go from here - options to continued lifestyle changes.
The Muscatine Community YMCA is partnering with UnityPoint Health-Trinity Muscatine, Hy-Vee Dietitian, and the Muscatine Diabetes Project to bring you this all-inclusive program.
Diabetes Busters Program
The Muscatine Diabetes Project identified a need for an educational diabetes awareness program for third-graders in the Muscatine Community School District in the 2017-18 school year, and implemented the Diabetes Busters Program.
On November 5, 2018, the Iowa Public Health Association released the 2016-17 data from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that 1 in 6 youth, ages 10 to 17 are obese.
Nationally, 15.8% of youth in this age range are obese. Iowa has the 10th highest obesity rate in youth ages 10 to 17 at 17.7%, and the 4th highest adult obesity rate in the nation at 36.4%. In the Muscatine County Schools, there are Type 1 and Type 2 youth diabetes diagnoses.
The Diabetes Busters Program was developed by professionals in the field of education, nursing, nutrition, physical education and fitness from the University of Iowa, the Iowa City School District and the American Diabetes Association.
