SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb., ― Over 37 million Americans in the U.S. have diabetes – but one in five people don’t know they have the disease. This month, Regional West is putting the spotlight on diabetes education and management.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), diabetes is a chronic health condition that affects how the body turns food into energy. With type 1 diabetes, your body does not make insulin, a hormone that regulates the amount of sugar in the blood. With type 2 diabetes, your body doesn’t use insulin properly. This leads to high blood sugar levels, which can cause serious health problems over time such as chronic kidney disease, nerve damage, and heart disease.

Approximately 96 million Americans have prediabetes, a condition where the body may not make enough insulin or use it fully to effectively regulate blood sugar. People with prediabetes have blood sugar levels that are higher than normal, but not high enough to reach a diabetes diagnosis.

Regional West offers a number of diabetes management tools to both newly-diagnosed and long-term patients. Regional West Physicians Clinic-Diabetes Care Center provides medical care, education, and support for people affected by diabetes while helping them better understand and manage their condition. This includes diabetes self-care management, which provides patient education in areas such as nutrition management, continuous glucose monitoring, and health habits.

Mayda Zimmerman, MSN, NP-C, a nurse practitioner in the Diabetes Care Center, said diabetes management at the Diabetes Care Center involves a team approach, with the patient as the most important part of the team.

“The Diabetes Care Center offers a team of healthcare professionals who help patients manage their diabetes with the latest technology and medications available,” said Zimmerman. “Because diabetes is a lifelong condition, our team at Regional West Physicians Clinic-Diabetes Care Center is dedicated to taking care of patients’ needs throughout their journey.”

To learn more about Regional West’s Diabetes Care Center, call 308-630-3700, or visit RWHS.org.

Regional West Health Services in Scottsbluff, Neb., is the parent company of Regional West Medical Center, a 188-bed regional referral center and the only Level II Trauma Center in Nebraska west of Kearney. As the region’s only tertiary referral medical center, Regional West offers care that spans more than 32 medical specialties provided by over 28 physician clinics. With nearly 300 in-network providers and approximately 2,000 staff members, Regional West provides comprehensive and innovative healthcare services for the people of western Nebraska and the neighboring states of Colorado, South Dakota, and Wyoming.