Team approach to diabetes: Cleveland Clinic program working for Seville, Sterling patients

No matter what she tried to do, a Seville woman who had struggled with diabetes for years couldn't bring her blood sugar level down.

Her physician would frequently recommend another pill or another shot as a solution, said Rhonda Rose, whosehealth condition hit a new low when she contracted MRSA in 2016 and was treated for a boil that would not heal.

Then a broken foot resulted in multiple surgeries.

Mobility issues forced her to retire from nursing.

With so many barriers to overcome, including weight issues, Rose couldn't go it alone.

Fortunately, she didn't need to fight the battle single-handedly after connecting with Wooster Family Health Center's structured diabetes management program through Cleveland Clinic.

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The collaborative effort of a group of professionals has helped Rose to turn her life around in achieving health outcomes she couldn't achieve by herself.

In the nearly two years the program has been in operation, it has assisted 103 clients in Wayne, Holmes and Ashland counties in managing their Type 2 diabetes.

Rose's partners include a primary care doctor, an endocrinologist, a pharmacist, a social worker and a dietitian. Also on the team are a diabetes educator and nurses.

"They all work together," Rose said. "When I have a problem, they get me in (for an evaluation) right away."I have a really, really good team."

Exercise helps Rhonda Rose manage her diabetes

Her ability to exercise — an important component of maintaining optimum health — is significantly limited, creating one of the challenges the team has helped her to solve.

One of the ways she keeps moving is by doing her own housework, she said. "I just go slow."

She also uses a Cubii, an elliptical-style machine pedaled while sitting down.

Additionally, "I have a ramp and walk up and down my driveway," Rose said. "I'm on a strict diet," which she follows meticulously. "Mainly it's vegetables and salad."

Her message to other diabetics is simple.

"(The program) works if you follow what they tell you (to do)," Rose said. "It can work if you do it, but you have to want to do it."

Diagnosis of COVID, diabetes steers Sterling man to Wooster hospital program

Jon VonBergen of Sterling shared a similar story.

A history of heart problems and an acute health issue led him to the structured diabetes program.From the ages of 37 to 45, VonBergen underwent heart surgeries and placement of stents.

Now 52, VonBergen went to the hospital in April 2021 when he experienced pain in his left arm. Not only did doctors diagnose COVID, they also discovered VonBergen had diabetes.

"They weren't worried about COVID," he said, but rather his significantly high blood sugar levels. His hemoglobin A1c level — a test measuring blood sugar levels over three months — also was extremely high.

Like Rose, VonBergen has made remarkable recovery with the assistance of the diabetes program's team of professionals, whose knowledge, he said, has made all the difference for him.

"They gave me tons of booklets" related to diet and other information about his condition, he said. "They tell me what to watch, and they check on me regularly."

He said he can contact a member of the team anytime he needs to.

VonBergen, who is employed by an Anheuser-Busch distributor in Brecksville, gets all of the exercise he needs walking and lifting kegs and cases at work.

His A1c level decreased incrementally over three sessions.

The program helped him to learn, among other tips, portion control and eating the right things. With his weight down and his diabetes under control, he feels better, he said.

'If you can't afford it, you don't do it'

Helping participants break down barriers to reaching health goals is an important component of the program. Roadblocks can be economic, said Erin Schlechty, a licensed social worker with Cleveland Clinic.

"If you can't afford it, you don't do it," Schlechty said. "I go over these kinds of things" with patients, including access to medicine, food and housing and ways to incorporate exercise.

"We try to call it an activity," so patients know it can be something they enjoy, registered nurse Cathy Vermilya said.

Team members make sure patients can obtain the resources they need, such as testing and equipment. It's important to discover what other health problems are interconnected, she said.

Some patients need help with dental work or hearing loss. Team members help them set up appointments with other health care professionals ranging from podiatrists to ophthalmologists.

Education also is an important factor for program participants to understand what the disease is doing to their body and how their medications work, Vermilya said.

For example, meeting with a pharmacist offers "a wealth of (information). We have seen so much success with that."

The team effort of targeted attention is demonstrating success. Ninety to 95 of the 103 participants have lowered their A1c levels.

"We have a lot of success stories," Vermilya said, noting accountability is stressed.

"Small changes can make a big difference," said Vermilya, "and we try to share what we have learned."

"I listen to all the doctors," VonBergen said. "Whatever they tell me to do, I do."

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Cleveland Clinic Wooster health team helps patients battle diabetes