Galion Safety Council meeting turns to diabetes

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The Galion Safety Council will have its monthly meeting at the Moose Lodge, 520 S. Market St., 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on May 19.

The meeting will focus on what diabetes is and the impact diabetes has on employment and work productivity. Jessica Hall of Avita Health System will also discuss how diabetes is treated and reasonable accommodations employers can make in the workplace for employees with diabetes.

In the last five years alone, the number of Americans with diabetes has increased by an alarming 27 percent. As the U.S. diabetes epidemic grows, so does the need to address diabetes in the workplace. In 2012, 29.1 million Americans, or 9.3% of the population, had diabetes, most of whom are or wish to be participating members of the workforce. Diabetes usually has no impact on an individual’s ability to do a particular job, and indeed an employer may not even know that an employee has diabetes. Questions are sometimes raised by employers about the safety and effectiveness of individuals with diabetes in a given job. When such questions are legitimately raised, a person with diabetes should be individually assessed to determine whether or not that person can safely and effectively perform the particular duties of the job in question. Most individuals with diabetes will require just a few, simple modifications to the workplace in order to successfully perform the essential functions of their job. Offering these modifications will enable employees with diabetes to be more productive and efficient while they are working.

Hall is a graduate from The University of Akron (2008). She holds a bachelor’s of science in dietetics and is a registered dietitian and licensed dietitian since 2008. She holds a Certificate of Training in Adult Weight Management and Malnutrition. She is currently working towards becoming a Certified Diabetic Educator (CDE). She served in the Army National Guard for 9 years and has been serving in the Air Force Reserve since 2011. She has worked for Avita Health System for 3 years and provides nutrition therapy to a variety of patient populations. She works with patients in both the hospital setting and in the outpatient setting.

Reservations need to be made by noon May 17. For more information, email at [email protected] or by calling Janell Benner at 1-419-492-2477.

Staff report

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