SC DHEC Names HopeHealth Provider Diabetes Champion
FLORENCE, S.C. (April 3, 2018) – HopeHealth’s Christy Evans was presented the Diabetes Champion of the Year Award March 9 during the 16th Annual Chronic Disease Prevention Symposium in Myrtle Beach.
The award, presented by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, recognizes individuals who have made “substantial advancement in improving health care systems to improve care for patients through well-defined measures” with particular attention to nationally recommended diabetes standards of care.
Evans, a board-certified adult nurse practitioner at HopeHealth since 2013, works with HopeHealth patients struggling with A1c levels – the measurement of glucose in the blood. An A1c below 5.7 percent is considered normal, between 5.7 and 6.4 is considered prediabetes, and diabetes is diagnosed when levels are 6.5 percent or higher. Evans works with those who are referred from their primary care provider when their A1c level are greater than nine percent.
Calling Evans a “vital member of our diabetes team,” Dr. Edward Behling, chief medical officer for HopeHealth, said Evans’ practice is dedicated to the treatment of diabetic patients, ensuring that they have all of the resources they need to manage their condition.
Located in the Diabetes and Nutrition Center at the HopeHealth Medical Plaza in Florence, Evans is passionate about empowering her patients to take control of their health. Her dedication to helping her patients manage diabetes has resulted in substantial improvements. In 2017 alone, Evans assisted 87 percent of her patients with lowering their A1c; 34 percent achieving A1cs less than nine, and 16 percent achieving A1cs under seven percent.
“Christy’s caring, compassionate manner and encouragement help to build patient trust, allowing her and her patients the ability to work together as a team to improve their glycemic control,” said Anita Longan, a certified diabetes educator and registered dietitian/nutritionist at the center. “Christy enthusiastically shares the joy that her patients experience when their hard work translates to better clinical outcomes, increased levels of energy and overall improvement in health and well-being.”
“Honored and humbled” by the recognition, Evans said she is glad to see the improvements she and the diabetes care team are making for her patients’ health. She stays up to date with the most current evidence-based standards of care and works tirelessly to ensure her patients do not fall behind with their check-ups. Her patients’ accomplishments are extraordinary considering each enter her care when their diabetes is uncontrolled. Of her patients:
- 98% are up-to-date for their A1c labs
- 94% have had their annual retinal scans
- 98% have had comprehensive foot exams
- 94% have had nephropathy screenings
- 64% have controlled blood pressure with levels less than 140/90
- 91% have had their cholesterol levels screened with 82% showing improved results and 58% with thier LDL levels (the “bad” cholesterol) in control
“Our diabetes care team is so fortunate to have a clinician with such a positive attitude assisting patients as they strive to manage their health,” said Longan.
