91成人导航

鈥淢y mom had diabetes for the longest time. I didn鈥檛 know,鈥� Harry Ma begins.

鈥淪he kept it a secret from everybody.鈥�

A secret until she was rushed to the hospital, her blood sugar dropping dangerously low. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 when I found out.鈥�

The experience taught Ma, in his early 20s at the time, a hard lesson about diabetes. He easily could have turned away from the shock and run in the other direction.

But that鈥檚 just not who he is.

Instead, Ma dedicated himself to learning everything he could about diabetes. Now, he鈥檚 the one educating others.

His mother鈥檚 hypoglycemic event gave him purpose. A scholarship through the聽聽at 91成人导航 helped him achieve it. In May, he graduated with a master鈥檚 degree in nursing with a specialization in diabetes management, and he aims to start working in emergency care in his hometown of Stockton.

Stories like his鈥攐r Alex Marapao鈥檚 or Ana Garcia鈥檚, two more Abbott Fund Scholars鈥攈elp illustrate what it truly means to have a community of care.

Each of them has come full circle, from feelings of helplessness to leading the charge for better health outcomes in a place they love鈥攚here they grew up.

Along with more than 300 other students and alumni from the program at 91成人导航, they鈥檙e part of a new wave of 鈥渄iabetes-smart鈥� healthcare and social workers ready to make a difference.

Building a Stronger Pipeline

Being a nurse is both a science and an art. Science in a literal and obvious way. Art in an important but sometimes overlooked way. Alex Marapao is a student of that art: She tries to connect with the people she鈥檚 helping so that vital information, such as how they should monitor their blood glucose levels, will stick.

That said, it鈥檚 a little easier to connect when you have things in common. Marapao is from Stockton. She grew up with family members who live with diabetes. And, in addition to being in 91成人导航鈥檚 nursing program, she spent several years as a nutrition educator at the Emergency Food Bank of Stockton.

鈥淚 have family members who had amputations due to diabetes,鈥� she says. 鈥淣ow, being in the nursing program, I can see the huge impact diabetes has. The program helped me make connections with people and be a better provider.鈥�

That, on its own, represents a big win.

It also makes you wonder: What would happen if more nurses had that level of knowledge and specialized training? In its most recent Economic Costs of Diabetes in the U.S. report, the American Diabetes Association found that the聽. (Separately, the World Health Organization has called attention to a聽聽that numbers in the millions.)

As Marapao puts it, equipping nurses and other healthcare workers with diabetes expertise makes the 91成人导航 program 鈥渘ot only unique but essential.鈥�

Abbott Fund partnered with 91成人导航 beginning in 2020 to build out a curriculum in diabetes education and strengthen the pipeline of homegrown healthcare workers in Stockton.

That partnership resulted in:

• The country鈥檚 first and only master鈥檚 degree program for social workers with specialization in diabetes management.
• Master's degree programs for nurses and dietitians with specialization in diabetes management.
• Certificate programs in diabetes prevention and management for frontline workers already working in the field.

When students are accepted in the Abbott Fund Scholars program, they commit to work in the local healthcare system and community for at least two years after graduation.

鈥淒uring my rotations I鈥檝e told some nurses about our blood glucose monitoring project,鈥� says Marapao, who also graduated in May. 鈥淎nd every nurse always says that鈥檚 such an important topic to educate the community about.鈥�

Story provided by The Abbott Fund