The Wellmark Foundation Funds Nutrition Education Project for People with Developmental Disabilities in South Dakota

April 16, 2007

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Contact:
Angela Feig
515.245.4551
feigab@wellmark.com

(Des Moines, Iowa) – The Wellmark Foundation provided a $48,015 grant to the University of South Dakota to develop a nutrition education project for individuals with developmental disabilities who have diabetes or are at risk for developing the disease.

Addressing Health Literacy Issues for Adults with Developmental Disabilities will develop nutrition education materials with appropriate readability and literacy levels to enable individuals with cognitive disabilities and diabetes to make healthy lifestyle choices, says Marcie Kemnitz, project director of the Center for Disabilities at the University of South Dakota’s Sanford School of Medicine. “The information will be designed to help individuals maintain proper diet and physical exercise to effectively mange their weight and the disease with as much independence as possible,” says Kemnitz.

Family members, direct support workers and individuals in the community who regularly interact with the project participants will also be encouraged to attend the nutrition education sessions in order to develop additional supports for participants, says Kemnitz. “Our goal is for participants, with assistance from their service providers, families and community members, to improve their own health outcomes over the long term,” reports Kemnitz.

The project will be implemented in collaboration with South Dakota Achieve, DakotAbilities and LifeQuest, organizations serving individuals with disabilities in Sioux Falls and Mitchell, S.D. For more information about Addressing Health Literacy Issues for Adults with Developmental Disabilities, contact Kemnitz at Marcie.Kemnitz@usd.edu or (605) 357-1439.

The Wellmark Foundation has provided nearly $12 million to fund 350 health-related grants in Iowa and South Dakota since 1997, including $574,147 this cycle. “The Wellmark Foundation collaborates with non-profit and governmental organizations in Iowa and South Dakota to build healthier communities,” says Matthew McGarvey, director of The Wellmark Foundation. “The Wellmark Foundation is pleased to support this project that will educate and empower South Dakotans with developmental disabilities,” says McGarvey.

The Wellmark Foundation is a private, non-profit foundation created by Wellmark, Inc., doing business as Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Iowa. Visit The Wellmark Foundation's Web site at www.wellmark.com/foundation for a list of grant recipients and grant application instructions.  Applications for the next round of community responsive grants are due June 19, 2007. Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield and The Wellmark Foundation are independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.