Kansas City, MO – Truman Medical Center has opened a new diabetes clinic. The some million dollars needed to renovate space and relocate services comes from an allocation through the state's Medicaid program.
Dr. Lamont Weide is Chief of Diabetes and Endocrinology at Truman. He says diabetes, which occurs when the body doesn't produce or properly use insulin, is a growing problem.
"We treat over 4,000 diabetics at Truman," Dr. Weide said. "I think nine percent of the population in Missouri has diabetes. In the city of Kansas City, it's even higher than that, and especially in the inner city it can be even ten or twelve percent."
Dr. Weide says the new center will allow Truman to see more people and better coordinate care for high risk patients who have multiple health conditions. He notes people with poorly managed diabetes are at an increased risk for kidney, eye, and nerve damage.
Funding for health care coverage on KCUR has been provided by the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City.
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