More than 600,000 adults in Arizona live with diabetes. For those on Medicaid, including Amber Marie Reyes, managing their disease often comes down to what they can afford to eat. Fortunately, Banner’s Medicaid program partners with Foodsmart, a telehealth nutrition and food care platform. The program connects Banner members with registered dietitians who provide free nutrition counseling to help manage diabetes, hypertension and other chronic health conditions.
At one point, Amber weighed nearly 400 pounds. Along with having heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and high A1C, she depended on oxygen to help her breathe. Diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at age 5, Amber also faces health obstacles including limited range of movement. She uses a mobility scooter to get around.
“I was depressed and eating constantly,” Amber recalls. “But after a while, I didn't want to be that way anymore. I didn't feel healthy. I wanted to change my life.”
Since Banner connected Amber with the Foodsmart program, she has lost more than 200 pounds. She no longer needs oxygen, and her high A1C and other health issues are markedly improved.
“I had congestive heart failure. That's gone. I had high blood pressure, high cholesterol. All that just totally gone,” she says.
“Diet is the number one predictor of chronic disease, and we work with Banner Medicaid members to help improve these conditions by creating personalized nutrition care plans,” explains registered dietitian Rhyan Geiger. “When we have early interventions with members, we're able to see better outcomes overall with A1C, hypertension, weight and any type of chronic conditions that they might face.”
Additionally, after completing their free nutrition coaching calls, Banner members earn “grocery money” to redeem on Instacart and similar platforms. Moreover, through Foodsmart’s food delivery program, Banner helps members eat well on a budget and access healthy food delivery. For Amber, who lives at home with her mother, this benefits not only her own health and finances, but the community’s as well.
“Being able to be boots on the ground, especially in the rural areas, definitely helps the members get the resources that they need,” says Janet Barbuzon, Community Outreach Manager. “We provide fresh produce boxes with whatever is in season. These boxes have changed some lives.”
That is certainly true for Amber.
“It’s been a big change for me. I feel good about myself,” she says. “If I can do it, you know you can do it.”
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