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Diabetes Prevention & Treatment
The Lake County Health Department offers diabetes prevention and treatment programs at the North Chicago Community Health Center, Belvidere Medical Building in Waukegan, and at the North Shore Health Center in Highland Park. These programs help people with diabetes learn how to take care of themselves and reduce their risk of developing complications. Program staff specializes in diabetes education and provides both group and one-on-one instruction. Services are available in both English and Spanish.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a disease where the body does not produce or properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that acts like a key to our body's cells and helps take sugar (glucose) from the blood to the cells of our body to provide you with energy.
Why does the Health Department offer a special prevention and treatment program?
Diabetes is a growing health concern across the nation. Diabetes can lead to serious health problems, including heart and blood vessel disease, blindness, kidney disease, nerve damage, and gum disease. However, there are ways to prevent diabetes and in cases where it cannot be prevented, there are ways to reduce its impact on our health.
Prevention: The goal is to raise awareness and educate the community. Prevention means trying to reduce the incidence and complications of diabetes by providing ongoing, comprehensive, patient-centered care to individuals diagnosed with diabetes and pre-diabetes. Diabetes medical care is comprised of physician visits and on-site patient education courses, where individuals can learn about their diagnosis and other health-related items including medication, nutrition, exercise, and health self-management.
Treatment: The focus is on reducing the negative impacts of diabetes. Treatment means trying to reduce the incidence and complications of diabetes by providing ongoing, comprehensive, patient-centered care to individuals diagnosed with diabetes and pre-diabetes. Diabetes medical care is comprised of physician visits and on-site patient education courses where individuals can learn about their diagnosis and other health-related items including medication, nutrition, exercise and health self-management.
Community partnerships: Our programs are one part of community-based intervention. Ask us about the agencies we work with.
Taking care of yourself is an important part of staying healthy when you have diabetes. LCHD/CHC can help you understand diabetes and how it affects your body. Education is available on topics such as:
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a disease where the body does not produce or properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that acts like a key to our body's cells and helps take sugar (glucose) from the blood to the cells of our body to provide you with energy.
Why does the Health Department offer a special prevention and treatment program?
Diabetes is a growing health concern across the nation. Diabetes can lead to serious health problems, including heart and blood vessel disease, blindness, kidney disease, nerve damage, and gum disease. However, there are ways to prevent diabetes and in cases where it cannot be prevented, there are ways to reduce its impact on our health.
Prevention: The goal is to raise awareness and educate the community. Prevention means trying to reduce the incidence and complications of diabetes by providing ongoing, comprehensive, patient-centered care to individuals diagnosed with diabetes and pre-diabetes. Diabetes medical care is comprised of physician visits and on-site patient education courses, where individuals can learn about their diagnosis and other health-related items including medication, nutrition, exercise, and health self-management.
Treatment: The focus is on reducing the negative impacts of diabetes. Treatment means trying to reduce the incidence and complications of diabetes by providing ongoing, comprehensive, patient-centered care to individuals diagnosed with diabetes and pre-diabetes. Diabetes medical care is comprised of physician visits and on-site patient education courses where individuals can learn about their diagnosis and other health-related items including medication, nutrition, exercise and health self-management.
Community partnerships: Our programs are one part of community-based intervention. Ask us about the agencies we work with.
Taking care of yourself is an important part of staying healthy when you have diabetes. LCHD/CHC can help you understand diabetes and how it affects your body. Education is available on topics such as:
- How diet, exercise and medication affect your blood sugar
- Healthy eating guidelines for people with diabetes
- How to take your medication for best results
- How to check your blood sugar
- What diabetes is and how it affects your body
- How to prevent diabetic complications
- Foot care
Healthy eating tips for people with diabetes:
- Try to eat regular, balanced meals every four to five hours. Smaller amounts eaten more often are better for blood sugar.
- Eat carbohydrates in moderation. Carbohydrates raise blood sugar more than foods with protein or fat. Carbohydrates include milk, fruit, bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, tortillas, corn and peas.
- Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables every day.
- Eat more fiber from whole grains and dried beans.
- Eat less fat and less saturated fat. Choose lean meats, low-fat dairy products and low-fat snack food.
- Drink beverages that do not raise blood sugar such as water, diet soda, coffee and tea.
- Choose desserts occasionally. Look for dessert foods that are lower in carbohydrates and fat.
The Diabetes Prevention and Treatment Program (DPTP) at the Health Department's North Shore Health Center
This program provides comprehensive diabetes management for patients at the Lake County Health Department/Community Health Center in the North Shore Health Center in Highland Park. The program offers:
- Diabetes management by clinicians trained to implement a consistent standard of care to each patient
- Ongoing individualized counseling by a registered dietitian/certified diabetes educator.
- Onsite Hemoglobin A1c testing.
- A comprehensive approach to a healthy lifestyle for the entire family provided through diabetes self-management education classes.
- Sub-specialty care access for ophthalmology, endocrinology, nephrology, cardiology and podiatry.
- Assistance with medication and testing supplies.
- Fitness classes led by a personal trainer.
- Paid memberships to a fitness center for those who qualify.
- Diabetes support group.
Be Well Lake County Program
Be Well Lake County Diabetes Program, a partnership between Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center and NorthShore University Health System, provides comprehensive diabetes management for patients at the Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center in North Chicago and the Belvidere Medical Building in Waukegan. The program offers:
Be Well Lake County Diabetes Program, a partnership between Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center and NorthShore University Health System, provides comprehensive diabetes management for patients at the Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center in North Chicago and the Belvidere Medical Building in Waukegan. The program offers:
- Intensive diabetes management by clinicians trained to implement a consistent standard of care to each patient
- Ongoing individualized counseling by a Registered Dietitian/Certified Diabetes Educator
- On-site Hemoglobin A1c testing
- A comprehensive approach to a healthy lifestyle for the entire family provided through diabetes self-management education classes
- Subspecialty care access for ophthalmology, endocrinology, nephrology, cardiology, and podiatry.
- Assistance with medication and testing supplies
- A dental program
- Fitness classes led by a personal trainer
- Paid memberships to a fitness center for those who qualify
- Diabetes support group
- A community garden
Patients diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes are referred to the program by their provider at the Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center for diabetes management. Each patient must make the North Chicago Community Health Center or Belvidere Medical Building his or her medical home if they currently receive services at another health center. For more information, please call 847-984-5255.