Diabetes program at hospital receives $33,000 grant

Mayo Health System has awarded Decorah Clinic Physicians at Winneshiek Medical Center $33,000 to further diabetes care in an outpatient setting.

The grant was given after Mayo Health System's Diabetes Expert Team and Quality Management Team toured all of the Mayo Health System facilities to evaluate their diabetes performance. The survey discovered that three sites consistently lead the system in diabetes performance in 2009: Cannon Valley Clinic, Owatonna Clinic and Decorah Clinic Physicians at Winneshiek Medical Center. The three clinics will equally share the $100,000 grant, initially intended to be awarded to just one facility.

In addition to the grant award, WMC will be a diabetes care resource for other health care organizations in the system.

The chair of the diabetes collaborative team at Winneshiek Medical Center, podiatrist Tom Marquardt, said, "Diabetes is a growing epidemic in the United States. The recent diabetes focus throughout Mayo Health System has offered us the opportunity to evaluate and enhance the care WMC provides to our patients. Through education and frequent monitoring, we are able to help our patients manage the disease, which may help prevent future complications and improve patients' quality of life."