Richmond -
A health center in Richmond has seen their patient size shrink dramatically over the past few years. But contrary to what you might think, staff there says that's great news.
Every time you hear a bell ring at the Richmond Area Health Center, it means another pound lost by one of their patients. "I feel like a little kid. At 69 I feel like a little kid," said Theresa Foye, a Pittston resident and patient at the facility.
It's all part of the Star Program and Theresa Foye has been shining brightly. She was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and urged to lose weight by the medical staff. She responded by dropping 50 pounds. So what's her secret? "One part was everything white," she said. "Which is sugar, bread, potatoes, rice. All those things that I'd grown up loving I now had to change and delete those."
Tom Bartol, a Nurse Practioner at the health center, is one of those responsible for starting the Star Program. "It's really a focus on not helping people diet, but helping them to live healthier lifestyles. To be healthier," Bartol said, adding that solving obesity is the key to curing a large percentage of common ailments. "High cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes are not caused by medication deficiencies in patients," he said. "Yet traditionally healthcare in this country has focused on using medications to treat numbers whether it be blood pressure, blood sugars or cholesterol levels. The focus has been on treating the complications of diseases not the causes."
Tuesday, the staff was joined by state lawmakers and Maine CDC Director Dr. Sheila Pinnette to celebrate the star program's overwhelming success. This past year, patients have lost more than 3000 pounds. If that doesn't impress you, in the two years since the program began, patients have lost a total of 7800 pounds. "Best of all, patients say they feel better. They're able to do things they weren't able to do," Bartol said.
The hope is to expand the program statewide to fight Maine's ever expanding obesity rate. "If they only lost 5% of their total weight, we estimate the state of maine could save $150 million a year on healthcare costs," Pinette told the crowd.
For folks like Theresa Foye, the benefits, like being around longer for her grandchildren, are priceless.
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