By bringing telehealth nutrition services and continuous glucose monitoring to patients and connecting them with community health workers, we’re creating an additional pathway to care for people living with Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes in two of Arkansas’ most rural communities, Jennifer Andersen said.
The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) will deploy a five-year, $1.5 million federal grant to integrate digital health technology and remote patient monitoring across two rural clinics, news.uams.edu reported. Funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the initiative aims to serve at least 300 adult patients diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, and co-occurring obesity in Independence and Union counties.
HRSA Grant Funds Rural Diabetes Care in Batesville and El Dorado
Registered dietitians will use telehealth infrastructure to deliver individual and group medical nutrition therapy directly to patients. Participants will receive continuous glucose monitors that transmit real-time metabolic data back to clinicians. These devices allow dietitians to demonstrate how specific foods directly influence a patient’s blood sugar levels, supporting personalized dietary adjustments.
The program operates out of the UAMS Health Family Medicine Clinics located in Batesville and El Dorado. Andersen serves as the principal investigator for the project through the UAMS Institute for Community Health Innovation.
Arkansas Diabetes Statistics Highlight Regional Health Burdens
Diabetes remains a primary public health challenge across both state and national levels. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention figures indicate that approximately 40 million adults nationwide live with diabetes, while another 115 million have prediabetes.
Statewide numbers from the American Diabetes Association show that roughly 369,000 adults in Arkansas, representing nearly 14% of the adult population, carry a diagnosed diabetes status. An estimated 28,000 new diagnoses occur annually in the state. Local public health data reveals an elevated burden in the targeted regions, where about 40% of adults in Independence and Union counties either have diabetes or face heightened risk factors.
Diabetes Costs in Arkansas Reach 4.9 Billion Dollars
Financial strain accompanies the clinical burden of the disease. Andersen noted that individuals diagnosed with diabetes incur medical expenses roughly 2.6 times higher than those without the condition, driving total annual diagnosed diabetes costs in Arkansas to an estimated $4.9 billion.
The new initiative functions as an exploratory model to determine how remote monitoring, nutrition counseling, and local community health workers can operate in tandem within rural regions. Program leaders aim to scale successful strategies across the wider state infrastructure. The effort expands upon existing community outreach by the UAMS Institute for Community Health Innovation, which coordinates Diabetes Self-Management and Education Support programs alongside local pharmacies and community organizations.
Questions About the UAMS Telehealth Nutrition Initiative
How do continuous glucose monitors assist patients in the program?
Continuous glucose monitors provide real-time data streams that registered dietitians use to educate patients on how specific foods and daily habits impact their blood sugar levels, enabling highly tailored nutrition recommendations.
Who qualifies to participate in the new telehealth service?
Adult residents in Independence and Union counties who have been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes mellitus or prediabetes alongside co-occurring obesity are eligible to participate at the Batesville and El Dorado clinics.
What financial support launched this rural healthcare project?
The Health Resources and Services Administration provided a five-year, $1.5 million grant to fund the integration of telehealth nutrition and remote patient monitoring services at the two designated UAMS regional clinics.
Related reading