How GlyCare Can Benefit Rural Hospitals
The Value of Specialized Glycemic Management in Rural Facilities
by Jennifer Peterson, DNP, APRN, LMT, FNP-BC
People who live in rural areas are more likely than urban residents to have higher rates of unhealthy behaviors and less access to healthy foods and health care. According to the CDC (2019), rural residents are also more likely to die prematurely from the main causes of death which include heart disease and stroke. Rural populations also have higher rates of diabetes which we all know leads to higher rates and greater severity of heart disease and stroke among other complications. Studies have shown rural persons with diabetes have higher morbidity and hospital mortality rates from diabetes-related complications (Ferdinand, 2018). There is a shortage of some medical specialties in rural areas, even in hospitals, and this includes diabetes care.
How GlyCare can help rural patients via virtual health
GlyCare is a team of dedicated, endocrinologist trained and supervised, diabetes mid-level providers who care for patients’ glycemic abnormalities. They work in conjunction with physicians, nurses, and staff in the hospitals to ensure proper blood glucose management.
Through virtual health, GlyCare can reach patients in rural hospitals by connecting them to one of our providers at a distant site to provide patient-centered diabetes care. GlyCare has proven outcomes that have dramatically improved glycemic control. As a result, GlyCare has reduced hypoglycemic events, medical errors, length of stay, and readmissions. These outcomes would be of tremendous benefit to rural hospital patients and essentially reduce the rates of diabetes-related morbidity and mortality.
About the author
Dr. Jennifer Peterson, Nurse Practitioner, is the Director of Quality Assurance and Integration for GlyCare. She has years of experience managing diabetes for patients in the hospital and now trains other nurse practitioners to do the same. Dr. Peterson also ensures GlyCare provides high quality services for all patients through a quality review program she created.
References
Ferdinand, A. (2018, March 27). Diabetes-Related Hospital Mortality in Rural America: A Significant Cause for Concern [Research Alert].
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Centers for Disease Control. US Department of Health & Human Services. (2019). Telehealth in Rural Communities.
Learn more about partnering with GlyCare for a turn-key diabetes management service. For more information on how to incorporate either in-person or virtual diabetes management, contact us today.