Memorial Medical Center - Nuestra Vida (Our Lives)

What is it?

Nuestra Vida (Our Lives) is a collaborative effort between Memorial Medical Center and county government. The program improves self-managed care and preventive behaviors and increases community awareness within a cultural context, incorporating local language and culturally appropriate foods. Community leaders, or “promotoras,” mediate between participants and health care providers. The program uses research to evaluate whether blending traditional diabetes education with promotoras and community support is effective in improving diabetes self-management and reducing diabetes-related hospital admissions.

Who is it for?

County residents with diabetes or pre-diabetes, and their families

Why do they do it?

The program was formed to find ways to reduce costs by lowering readmissions for diabetes-related visits, and to inform the county and hospital on future program development.

Impact

First-year assessments indicate that out of 43 participants: 84 percent decreased A1C levels, 83 percent decreased cholesterol levels, 54 percent lost weight, 65 percent decreased systolic pressure and 51 percent decreased blood pressure.

Contact: John Kutinac, M.P.H.
Telephone: 575-521-5378
Email: john.kutinac@lpnt.net