82R20692 CBE-D
By: Raymond H.R. No. 1386
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, In just one year, The University of Texas Community
Outreach has made a measurable difference in the effort to prevent
and control diabetes; and
WHEREAS, UTCO currently serves people in Cameron, Galveston,
Nueces, and Webb Counties who have diabetes or are at risk of
developing the disease; the program employs Department of State
Health Services-certified Community Health Workers to guide
education, nutrition, and physical activity interventions, and
between September 2009 and November 2010, UTCO achieved more than
39,000 contacts; and
WHEREAS, Economic savings and health impacts as a result of
this outreach have already been documented; a survey of Brownsville
clients revealed that only 40.9 percent met physical activity
guidelines without the intervention of a Community Health Worker,
while 59.1 percent met the guidelines if a trained UTCO Community
Health Worker guided an intervention; moreover, UTCO has seen
decreases in participants' blood glucose levels, abdominal weight,
and overall weight; and
WHEREAS, The average annual cost to treat an individual with
diabetes is $12,000; for a fraction of that, $21.50 per at-risk
individual per year, UTCO provides in-home prevention assistance,
screening and monitoring, media campaigns, exercise and nutrition
classes, and facilities; the average lifetime treatment cost for a
diabetic with end-stage renal disease is $1.5 million, while the
UTCO annual budget for reaching 80,000 people in four counties is
only $3 million; and
WHEREAS, A diabetes epidemic is overwhelming the state and
draining taxpayer funds; the low-cost UTCO model shifts the
emphasis from treatment to prevention, utilizing permanent local
expertise and infrastructure, and the program is indeed deserving
of recognition; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas
Legislature hereby honor The University of Texas Community Outreach
for its achievements in promoting community-based prevention and
control of diabetes and obesity and commend all those associated
with UTCO for their outstanding efforts; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for The University of Texas Community Outreach as an
expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives.