SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 896
         WHEREAS, In just one year, The University of Texas
  Community Outreach program has made a measurable difference in
  the effort to prevent and control diabetes; and
 
         WHEREAS, This outstanding program, also known as UTCO,
  currently serves people in Cameron, Galveston, Nueces, and Webb
  Counties who have diabetes or are at risk of developing the
  disease; the program employs community health workers certified
  by the Department of State Health Services to guide education,
  nutrition, and physical activity interventions and achieved more
  than 39,000 contacts between September of 2009 and November of
  2010; and
 
         WHEREAS, Economic savings and health impacts as a result of
  this outreach have already been documented; a survey of
  Brownsville clients revealed that only 40.9 percent met physical
  activity guidelines without the intervention of a community
  health worker, while 59.1 percent met the guidelines if a trained
  community health worker from The University of Texas Community
  Outreach program guided an intervention; in addition,
  participants in the program have experienced decreases in blood
  glucose levels, abdominal weight, and overall weight; and
 
         WHEREAS, The average annual cost to treat an individual
  with diabetes is $12,000; for a fraction of that, $21.50 per
  at-risk individual per year, The University of Texas Community
  Outreach program provides in-home prevention assistance,
  screening and monitoring, media campaigns, exercise and
  nutrition classes, and facilities; the average lifetime
  treatment cost for a diabetic with end-stage renal disease is
  $1.5 million, while the annual budget for reaching 80,000 people
  in four counties through the community outreach program is only
  $3 million; and
 
         WHEREAS, A diabetes epidemic is overwhelming the state and
  draining taxpayer funds; the low-cost University of Texas
  Community Outreach model shifts the emphasis from treatment to
  prevention, utilizing permanent local expertise and
  infrastructure, and the program is indeed deserving of
  recognition; the program's presentation at the recent Texas
  Public Health Association annual meeting was designated as the
  Outstanding Research Paper Presentation based on the outcomes
  achieved in the prevention and control of diabetes; now,
  therefore, be it
 
         RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 82nd
  Legislature, hereby honor The University of Texas Community
  Outreach program for its achievements in promoting
  community-based prevention and control of diabetes and obesity
  and commend all those associated with the program for their
  outstanding efforts; and, be it further
         RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for
  The University of Texas Community Outreach program as an
  expression of esteem from the Texas Senate.
 
  Lucio, Hinojosa,  
  Jackson, Zaffirini
   
   
   
    ________________________________ 
        President of the Senate
     
        I hereby certify that the
    above Resolution was adopted by
    the Senate on May 3, 2011.
   
   
   
    ________________________________ 
        Secretary of the Senate
   
   
   
    ________________________________ 
         Member, Texas Senate
   
   
   
    ________________________________ 
         Member, Texas Senate
   
   
   
    ________________________________ 
         Member, Texas Senate
   
   
   
    ________________________________ 
         Member, Texas Senate