What Is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a condition in which insufficient amounts of insulin are produced, or the body is unable to use the insulin that is produced. The disease affects the way the body metabolizes, or uses, digested food to make glucose, the main source of fuel for the body. There are 20.8 million children and adults in the United States, or 7 percent of the population, who have diabetes.

Diabetes can affect many parts of the body and can lead to serious complications such as heart disease, blindness, kidney damage, and lower-limb amputations. Working together, people with diabetes and Parkland Health Center can reduce the occurrence of these and other complications by controlling the levels of blood glucose, blood pressure, and blood lipids, and by practicing other preventive care.

Diabetes Care Center At Parkland Health Center, we specialize in people with type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes . . . . . . is an auto immune disorder in which the body's own immune system destroys its ability to make insulin or process food for energy. Type 1 diabetes is managed with insulin as well as a healthy lifestyle.

Type 2 diabetes . . . . . . is a result of the body's inability to make enough -- or to properly use -- insulin. Type 2 diabetes may be controlled with diet, exercise and weight loss, or may require oral medication or insulin injections.

Pre-Diabetes . . . . . . is a result of blood glucose levels higher than normal but not high enough to be defined as diabetes. Pre-diabetes increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. With modest weight loss and moderate physical activity, people with pre-diabetes can delay or prevent type 2 diabetes.

Learn to Manage Your Diabetes -- from the Experts Receive training on how to manage your diabetes from our specially trained and certified staff. Take advantage of nutrition counseling. Day and evening classes are offered to fit your schedule.

Getting Started
You'll need a referral from your doctor. Services are covered by Medicare and many private insurance companies.

Wound Care Center
Diabetes can affect every part of the body, including the skin. One-third of people with diabetes will have a skin disorder. Learn more about wound care and our hyperbaric chamber and how it used in the healing process.

Anyone can have some of these skin conditions, but people with diabetes get more easily including:

• Bacterial infections
• Fungal infections
• Itching

Some skin problems happen mostly to people with diabetes. These include:

• Diabetic dermopathy
• Necrobiosis lipoidica diabeticorum
• Diabetic blisters
• Eruptive xanthomatosis

Healing Faster, Avoiding Complications
We specialize in the treatment of wounds because of diabetes and complicated wounds due to injury or surgery. We help wounds heal faster to avoid further complications and injury.

We specialize in:

• Diabetic callous and ulcer care
• Referrals for custom shoes and support wear (compression stockings)
• Healing of traumatic wounds
• Management of infection and tissue repair
• Burn repair and grafting, including bio-engineered tissue
• Diagnosing vascular ulcers
• Education for wound care and home management
• Coordinating services (home health, physical and occupational service, specialized medical equipment or hospice)

Getting Started
A physician referral is not required. All wound care and treatment is physician ordered.