In 2015-2016, the Foundation contributed $15,000 toward diabetes supplies and patient education. According to the Centers for Disease Control, as of 2015, 30.3 million Americans – 9.4 percent of the U.S. population – have diabetes. Rates of diagnosed diabetes are higher among African Americans and Hispanics compared to non-Hispanic whites and other groups. At Lincoln Community Health Center, 87% of patients are from racial or ethnic minorities, and the two highest diagnoses are for hypertension and diabetes.
“Lincoln sees so many patients with diabetes,” says Joan Chaplin, Manager for Care Coordination at Lincoln. “There is an increasing demand for diabetic supplies and education programs so that our patients can take better care of themselves and avoid costly medical complications resulting from their diabetes.”
“We know how prevalent diabetes is in our community, especially among African Americans and Hispanics,” says Carolyn E. Henderson, Board Chairperson of the Lincoln Community Health Center Foundation. “We are grateful to donors who share our mission to enhance the quality of health in Durham, and provide needed resources to patients at Lincoln.”