Amy and Nicole piloted a holistic diabetes education program at Community of Hope, a free health clinic in Pelham. Nicole grew up watching her father manage his diabetes, which inspired her to develop a class curriculum that empowers patients to manage their diabetes. As a Type 1 diabetic herself, Amy understands that each individual has unique factors that affect their diabetes management. Amy and Nicole developed bilingual diabetes education classes focused on nutrition, exercise and stress management. Participants attended one-on-one sessions after each class to develop individualized plans to put the knowledge they learned into action.

As a result of their efforts:

• 5 class participants reached their target A1c or weight loss goals
• 2 patients transitioned into careers more accommodating for diabetes management
• Development of a diabetes curriculum that can be used in the future

“My time as a Schweitzer fellow has been a period of growth and learning. I’ve learned about service, community, patients, and myself in the process. I am happy to have heard the stories of so many wonderful people and received excellent advice from my mentors. I look forward to applying what I’ve learned to better serve patients and my community in the future.” Nicole Lassiter