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   A local woman had blood-sugar readings between 500 and 600, which often causes serious consequences.
    But now, thanks to a fairly new Sunflower Diversified Services program called Health Outreach, she monitors her declining blood-sugar numbers and takes insulin for diabetes properly.
    She also has lost 35 pounds.
    “We are helping her with her diet, and her blood sugar is under better control,” said Brandi Demel, Sunflower’s full-time registered nurse. “But this woman is only one of many examples of how our Health Outreach team is helping not just Sunflower clients but others in the community as well.”
    Sunflower serves infants, toddlers and adults with developmental disabilities but Health Outreach is available to anyone in the community who qualifies.
    Health Outreach is based on a project sponsored by the state of Kansas and its managed care organizations. These MCOs are the insurance companies involved in KanCare for low-income residents.
Another Sunflower success story centers on a local man who requires a special diet and supplements for a serious medical condition.
    “He had many safety issues because his condition caused him to fall,” Demel said. “So we initiated a number of safety precautions and worked with a local doctor on the supplements that are not paid for by KanCare (formerly known as Medicaid.)
    “We have also consulted with a dietitian and a California doctor who specializes in his medical condition,” Demel noted.
    Without Health Outreach, Demel said, these two people and others would be at great risk for even more medical problems.
    “This does not just entail getting the insulin and supplements for a particular disease,” Demel said. “We consider the whole person and their everyday life.”
    Two local doctors have agreed to be consultants for Health Outreach on an ongoing basis. Demel meets with them to review health planning and listen to their recommendations.
    Other members of the team are Tressa Shramek, licensed practical nurse, and Melissa Curry and Billie Crawshaw, both case managers.
    “We are really integrated,” Demel commented. “We work as a cohesive team and case managers are very involved; this is why they became case managers in the first place.
“Their scope is so much broader because of Health Outreach,” she added. “We are already doing things that other agencies are just now putting into practice.”
    The Sunflower program recently was featured in a statewide e-publication that focuses on early successes. In fact, Demel was quoted on the front page as saying: “We’ve discovered it’s not about what’s billable; it’s what’s needed.”
    Jim Johnson, Sunflower executive director, noted that the non-profit agency was the only developmental disability organization to be included in the recent publication.
    “It’s gratifying that others realize that even in the face of uncertainties with state finances, Sunflower continues to maintain its focus on improving the lives of persons with significant health issues,” Johnson said. “We will promote their independence and their ability to be less dependent on tax dollars in whatever way we can.”
    Sunflower’s service area includes Barton, Pawnee, Rice, Rush and Stafford counties.