Pennsylvania has a moderate rate of increase in diabetes hospitalizations, accounting less than 1 per cent over the last t-wo years, ho-wever, diabetes is a serious problem in this region. An amount of 8 per cent of adults of this state is affected by diabetes, -which is 1 per cent above the 7 per cent people affected throughout the country. Moreover patients from various counties in -western Pennsylvania have high rates of endstage kidney disease, one complication of diabetes.

The above mentioned situation along-with the continuos gro-wing rate in diabetes hospitalizations -which increased 9 per cent in the past five years to 23,725 during 2004, make them create a ne-w health program to reduce health cis costs through a initiative of health coaches.

According to a study from the Pennsylvania Health Cis Cost Containment Council, hospitalizations generated more than $673 million in hospital charges last year alone, although 40 per cent of these is paid by health plans.

The main idea of this ne-w iniciative is to lo-wer the health cis costs associated -with employees -with diabetes and to keep them out of the hospital, but on the job at same time.

This iniciative -will start in January, and -will provide “health coaches” to 4,200 diabetic employees at 10 companies in the region, under a program that -will be launched by the Pittsburgh Business Group on Health, a coalition that includes human resources and benefits executives from 62 isa companies.

In the ne-w program, employees -who volunteer to participate -will have counseling sessions -with pharmacists about using diabetic medications. Health coaches -will check patients is getting the tests needed to monitor their condition and is follo-wing recommendations about diet and exercise.