Grantee Spotlight: Fighting Diabetes with Healthy Lungs and Feet

Grantee Spotlight: Fighting Diabetes with Healthy Lungs and Feet

"The smallest of projects can make a significant impact on a patient's life"

November 22, 2024

By Alex Morse

Aracelis Miranda Spindt, PA-C, DMSc, DFAAPA (far right) led the project with her fellow Carroll University faculty.

In the United States, 33 million people are diagnosed with diabetes, and more than double have pre-diabetes. Supported by the PA Foundation's Robert K. Pedersen Global Outreach Grant Program, Carroll University PA students offered aid and education to diabetic patients in their community through the school's free clinic.

The Waukesha Free Clinic is an independently operated clinic that offers medical and wellness services to uninsured and underserved patients in the Waukesha community, with care provided by physician volunteers as well as Carroll University faculty and health science students. While the clinic offers critical health services, it cannot afford to provide preventative vaccines, such as Pneumovax, to patients with diabetes. Many go without.

In December 2023, the clinic hosted a one-day event called "Beat Diabetes with Healthy Lungs and Healthy Feet." PA students, under faculty supervision, administered vaccines, performed diabetic foot exams, and provided diabetic foot care education to patients. They also provided foot care kits, lotion, and socks to patients for future use.

[Learn more about PA Foundation Global Outreach Grants]

Project lead Aracelis Miranda Spindt, PA-C, DMSc, DFAAPA, explained: "The Pneumovax vaccine is very expensive and cost-prohibitive for our uninsured patients. By providing the vaccine to our diabetic patients, who are already at high risk for pneumonia, our patients protect themselves from the illness and avoid emergency department visits and hospitalizations."

Eight PA students were involved in the planning of the project and six participated in the clinic on the day of the event. Waukesha Free Clinic staff and two volunteer Spanish interpreters assisted as well. Between research, planning, and time spent in the clinic, volunteers spent more than 75 hours on this project.

PA students, under faculty supervision, administered vaccines, performed diabetic foot exams, and provided diabetic foot care education to patients.

Students received valuable experience working with patients with educational and language barriers and gained logistical planning skills. "The students learned that even the smallest of projects can make a significant impact on a patient's life and how they can address and bridge health care disparities."

This was a one-time project; however, it has inspired the program to broaden its scope. "We hope to write for more grants for other vaccines, such as Shingrix," Spindt said. "We also realized that some patients were falling through the cracks in their routine diabetic care due to poor follow-up." The clinic is working on developing a better system to recall patients in need of care.

[View the impact of previous PA Foundation Global Outreach Grant Recipients]

The biggest challenge, according to Spindt, was getting patients to the clinic despite the unexpected winter weather. "Most of our patients travel by public transportation, and those of advanced age were afraid to travel in the snow for fear of falls," she said. "This contributed to several of our patients missing their appointments. It was discussed that for any future projects, we should consider working with volunteer drivers or fund ride-share options, like Lyft or Uber, to help transport patients."

Overall, the project was deemed a huge success. Every vaccine purchased was used to help a patient in need and students walked away with practical, hands-on experience.

Visit the PA Foundation website for more information on Global Outreach Grants and the impact of previous grant recipients.

Alex Morse is AAPA's Communications Associate. She can be reached at [email protected].

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