WCHC boasts top-notch diabetes care

WASHINGTON — Data from the CDC shows that roughly 11.3% of Americans have diabetes, a staggering number that makes it one of the most common chronic conditions in the nation.

Despite its prevalence, diabetes care is hard to come by outside of major population centers. Experts say a mix of workforce shortage and the need for numerous specialists make it hard to provide help for rural residents.

That makes Washington County Hospitals and Clinics an outlier. CEO Todd Patterson said the hospital made an effort to attract specialists and facilitate diabetes health care.

“We have a big problem with that in our community, so (it’s) something we felt like we wanted to pay attention to and invest in,” WCHC CEO Todd Patterson said. “If you put it all together, we have this really good center that can take really good care of people that have that chronic disease.”

Diabetes is difficult to manage because its effects on the body are so diverse, and require a number of specialists. The team at WCHC includes an endocrinologist, a podiatrist, a dietitian, and a diabetes-specific nurse educator, to name a few.

“When people have diabetes, there’s some maintenance that needs to go on,” Diabetes Nurse Educator Amy Martin said. “The follow-up with their primary care doctor or an endocrinologist, they need to have an eye exam done every year, they need to have foot care done, and those services are all available here.”

To keep such a broad array of experts, Todd Patterson said WCHC prioritized its workplace environment.

“We’ve tried to develop a culture here that is very provider-centric,” he said. “We try to give our doctors autonomy, we try to make this a great place to work, we try to give them as much support as we can and stay out of their way. When you are able to create that kind of culture, you draw, in this case, specialists.”

Endocrinologists are especially difficult to come by. The specialization focuses on hormone-related conditions, most notably diabetes. The Washington hospital houses the only such specialist between St. Louis and Iowa City.

“At Iowa City, they have the university, so I felt that the need was going to be higher anywhere south,” said Dr. Ayoub Mogassbi, WCHC’s endocrinologist. “So I’m hopefully covering more ground, hopefully to serve more people.”

Mogassbi lives in Coralville. His commute to Washington is a choice, given the numerous other hospitals nearby. He said the above-mentioned workplace culture attracted him.

"This is a better environment for me, there’s not a lot of obstacles to face,“ he said. ”When it’s a smaller hospital, the management are more aware about the details, so you don’t feel that you are lost, you don’t feel that you are not heard. The communication is a lot better.“

Indeed, Mogassbi attracts patients from far and wide. Carol Gard, who has Type 1 diabetes, said she drove 90 minutes from Danville, for a consultation with the doctor after her primary care provider needed a specialist opinion.

“I had an issue with my blood sugars that we weren’t able to resolve,” she said. “Dr. Mogassbi is very well-known for treating diabetics … and there’s no endocrinologists in our area, he’s the closest one.”

For patients, the role of education is huge. Amy Martin said diabetes prompted a lot of questions on subjects that are often misunderstood.

“Our society has done a very poor job of understanding how diabetes works,” she said. “It’s very rarely because of what somebody does to themselves, very often it’s about genetics. But society will group people, saying they’re fat … and it’s their fault, and that very rarely is the case.”

It’s also a difficult disease to deal with. Martin said patients needed the support from experts and peers.

“It’s complicated, it’s a hard condition to manage for people, and I think people need to know that it’s doable,” she said. “It can be managed, but it’s a pain in the butt, that’s what I always tell them … it’s OK to have bad days, but use your team of people to help support you.”

Still, the hospital hopes to expand its work with diabetic patients. Martin said roughly 10% of Washington County residents were likely diabetic. Of those, she estimates only 10% come through WCHC team.

“We have so many more people that we could help,” she said. “I think, so many times, people don’t want to come because people are afraid we’re going to tell them what not to do. And that’s not it at all, we’re here to help and support people.”

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com