Bergen Volunteer Medical Initiative Inc

Diabetes prevention, care, and educationthe diabetes prevention, care, and education program at bvmi is designed to provide early detection, successful treatment, and improved outcomes for our pre-diabetic and diabetic patients. These two categories represent more than 1/3 of bvmi's patients. Uncontrolled diabetes can lead to increased risk of stroke, heart disease, circulatory problems and neuropathy, visual impairment, kidney disease - even death.the intake for all bvmi patients includes a comprehensive primary care examination. If results indicate that they are diabetic or pre-diabetic, they are referred to our diabetes team for further care and follow-up. We work with this group of patients to bring their condition under control and under maintenance. This includes patient education in healthy lifestyle choices, training for patients and their families or caregivers in how to monitor and manage diabetes, and medication and supplies where appropriate.in 2024, the part-time certified diabetes care and education specialist completed 226 visits. Clinical outcomes for patients compare very favorably to national hedis benchmarks for the medicaid population: 60.2% of bvmi patients had an aa1c value of less than 7.0, compared to the hedis benchmark of 34.7%, and 81.8% of bvmi patients had an a1c value of less than 8.0, compared to the hedis benchmark of 50.9%. Only 10.2% had an a1c value of greater than 9, compared to the hedis benchmark of 40.3%.18 patients completed bvmi's innovative, intensive 9-month prevent diabetes program. One hundred percent lowered their a1c (blood sugar) values, and nearly all participants lost weight, with one-third losing more than 5% of their starting weight.

Women's health initiativethe women's health initiative at bvmi is designed to improve women's health literacy and healthcare outcomes. Women comprise approximately 65% of bvmi's 1,000 patients.through our women's health initiative, gynecological care also becomes part of our follow-up care for female patients. Care is provided onsite by volunteer gynecologists as well as advanced practice nurses who are women's health specialists. This includes a referral for a mammogram for women over the age of 40 who have not had this screening test in the past 12 months - so that we can detect any breast health issues before they reach a serious stage. In 2024, 463 unique women patients saw women's health practitioners in 644 visits. 292 patients received a mammogram.