Mayor Barrett Encourages City Employees To Say “Not Me” To Diabetes
The City of Milwaukee is among the first public sector employers in the state to offer employees the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program, a 12-month lifestyle behavior intervention designed especially for people with prediabetes, the clinical precursor for type 2 diabetes. To screen its employees at the highest risk for diabetes, the City will host UnitedHealthcare’s 18-wheel mobile testing clinic at City Hall.
WHAT: The City of Milwaukee is among the first public sector employers in the state to offer employees the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program, a 12-month lifestyle behavior intervention designed especially for people with prediabetes, the clinical precursor for type 2 diabetes. To screen its employees at the highest risk for diabetes, the City will host UnitedHealthcare’s 18-wheel mobile testing clinic at City Hall.
Employees at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes will receive a three-minute blood test for prediabetes, characterized by blood sugar levels that are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. Y lifestyle coaches will be on hand to discuss the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program and register eligible participants on the spot, covered by their UnitedHealthcare benefits plan at no out-of-pocket cost.
WHY: The impact of type 2 diabetes is costly and significant, both in health outcomes as well as financial resources. In 2011, employees with type 2 diabetes cost the City of Milwaukee an additional $10.2 million, according to UnitedHealthcare estimates.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) estimates that in Milwaukee County, roughly one in three adults (approximately 241,000) have prediabetes[1]. But studies find more than 90 percent of those with prediabetes are not aware of it and, as a result, are neither prepared nor equipped to undertake steps to prevent the onset of an irreversible chronic illness.
WHO: Mayor Tom Barrett, City of Milwaukee
Ald. Michael J. Murphy, Common Council (10th District)
Megan Radowski, YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee
Bruce Weiss, MD, MPH, UnitedHealthcare of Wisconsin
WHEN: Tomorrow, Wednesday, June 20
8:45 a.m. Mobile testing clinic tour
9am–3 p.m. Employee testing
WHERE: Milwaukee City Hall, 800 N. Market Street
CONTACTS: Jodie Tabak for the City: Jodie Tabak,414-708-7963, jodie.tabak@milwaukee.gov
Mikaela Balfany, for the Y: 414-313-9622, mbalfany@ymcamke.org
Kevin Shermach, for UnitedHealthcare: 312-399-4530, kevin.shermach@uhc.com
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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