BCBSNC Foundation Announces Results of Grant to Train Educators On Diabetes, Launches Outreach Campaign

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - A grant from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation (BCBSNC) has helped more than half the state's public schools address a new state law requiring training for school staff in the care of children with diabetes.

The Care for School Children with Diabetes law, passed by the North Carolina General Assembly in September 2002, requires personnel in schools where children with diabetes are enrolled to receive general training on diabetes. In addition, two staff members must receive intensive training on insulin administration, diabetes emergency procedures and identifying and treating symptoms of hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia.

The BCBSNC Foundation provided a $75,000 grant to develop the curriculum and implement the training.

"The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation is proud to be a part of this important effort across our state," said President and CEO Bob Greczyn. "As North Carolina's last major hometown health insurance company, our decision was obvious: we had to get involved in this initiative, and we had to carry it forward to parents, to school officials, and to the medical community."

In its first year of implementation, more than 1,300 of the state's 2,300 public schools and charter schools where students with diabetes are enrolled have completed their training. Staff within these 1,300 schools have received general training to recognize emergency situations in students with diabetes. In addition, each school has two staff members who have received the more intensive training, including testing of blood sugar levels and emergency administration of glucose and glucagon.

There are a reported 2,500 children with diabetes in public schools, although the actual number could be higher.

"This initiative is another example of forward thinking about the link between healthier children, healthy schools, and educational achievement in North Carolina," said Chairman Howard Lee, State Board of Education. "We are taking steps to continue the progress in educational achievement, and we hope this trend continues. With the help of good corporate citizens like Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina and its Foundation, it will."

The BCBSNC Foundation presented the grant to Wake Area Health Education Center (Wake AHEC) which partnered with the NC Department of Health and Human Services, the N.C. Department of Public Instruction, the Diabetes Care Center of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and the American Diabetes Association to create a training curriculum that reaches across the state, providing attendees and schools with the necessary training materials.

This month, the BCBSNC Foundation will launch an outreach effort aimed at parents and pediatricians who care for children with diabetes. This campaign will inform parents and pediatricians about the law through posters and flyers, which will be available at the pediatricians' offices.