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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, In just one year, The University of Texas Community |
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Outreach has made a measurable difference in the effort to prevent |
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and control diabetes; and |
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WHEREAS, UTCO currently serves people in Cameron, Galveston, |
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Nueces, and Webb Counties who have diabetes or are at risk of |
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developing the disease; the program employs Department of State |
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Health Services-certified Community Health Workers to guide |
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education, nutrition, and physical activity interventions, and |
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between September 2009 and November 2010, UTCO achieved more than |
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39,000 contacts; and |
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WHEREAS, Economic savings and health impacts as a result of |
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this outreach have already been documented; a survey of Brownsville |
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clients revealed that only 40.9 percent met physical activity |
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guidelines without the intervention of a Community Health Worker, |
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while 59.1 percent met the guidelines if a trained UTCO Community |
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Health Worker guided an intervention; moreover, UTCO has seen |
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decreases in participants' blood glucose levels, abdominal weight, |
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and overall weight; and |
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WHEREAS, The average annual cost to treat an individual with |
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diabetes is $12,000; for a fraction of that, $21.50 per at-risk |
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individual per year, UTCO provides in-home prevention assistance, |
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screening and monitoring, media campaigns, exercise and nutrition |
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classes, and facilities; the average lifetime treatment cost for a |
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diabetic with end-stage renal disease is $1.5 million, while the |
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UTCO annual budget for reaching 80,000 people in four counties is |
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only $3 million; and |
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WHEREAS, A diabetes epidemic is overwhelming the state and |
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draining taxpayer funds; the low-cost UTCO model shifts the |
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emphasis from treatment to prevention, utilizing permanent local |
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expertise and infrastructure, and the program is indeed deserving |
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of recognition; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas |
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Legislature hereby honor The University of Texas Community Outreach |
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for its achievements in promoting community-based prevention and |
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control of diabetes and obesity and commend all those associated |
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with UTCO for their outstanding efforts; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for The University of Texas Community Outreach as an |
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expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. |