2013 Annual Report--FINAL.pdf - YMCA of Greater Rochester

Collaborating . . .
Endorsed Program
Focuses on
Prevention
Joanne Johnston’s doctor warned her that she was prediabetic,
making it more likely that she would face the blood glucose
testing, insulin doses, and risks to her heart, kidneys, nerves,
and eyes that diabetes brings. However, the 78-year-old from
Gates had trouble losing excess weight on her own.
To Build Healthier Lives
“I love it! I needed
the change with my
eating habits – and
more exercise.”
-Joanne Johnston
Help finally came in a letter and through a call from her health insurer, inviting her to
participate in the YMCA’s evidence-based Diabetes Prevention Program.
The free one-year program includes 16 weekly classes and then monthly maintenance
meetings. Lifestyle coaches teach overweight adults who are at risk for type 2 diabetes
how to adopt and maintain a lifestyle that can improve their health, reduce health care
costs, and extend their life.
Johnston learned to control portions, track calories and fat, and eat more vegetables and
fruit. She got back into the habit of walking at the mall with friends three times a week.
On other days, she pedals her once-neglected exercise bike, now positioned by the TV.
Within 10 weeks, Johnston lost 10 pounds. Her usually high blood pressure improved,
and she is now more energetic. “I have more ambition,” she says. “I’m able to do more.”
The program is offered at YMCAs nationwide. In October 2012, MVP Gold became the
first Medicare Advantage program anywhere to cover the program. “Educating people about
how to eat healthier, stay active, and take other steps to avoid developing type 2 diabetes
is an important way MVP can contribute to helping to create healthier communities,” says
Denise V. Gonick, president and CEO of MVP Health Care.
Greater Rochester Health Foundation (GRHF) supports the program financially because
rigorous studies have shown that modest changes can avoid diabetes, says John Urban,
GRHF president and CEO. “This fact, along with the YMCA of Greater Rochester’s
demonstrated ability to execute programs effectively, made this an investment our board
of directors was pleased to support.”
Since September 2010, more than 190 people in the Rochester area have participated in
the program.
“I love it,” says Johnston, a retired Kodak worker. “I needed the change with my eating
habits – and more exercise.”
A look at the future:
• Early learning and after school
programs at the Y will adopt new
standards for food, minimize screen
time, and maximize physical activity
time daily.
• YMCA employees are participating in
the Wegmans/Finger Lakes Health
Systems Agency’s blood pressure
challenge to improve their own
health. Also, YMCA fitness crews
can provide blood pressure testing
for other employers.