Grant seeks to find border health answers

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Tyler Wing - View Bio

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The Center for Disease Control reports diabetes rates double in border communities.

Obesity and cardiovascular disease rates are also much higher than the national average.

That's why the C.D.C. awarded the Prevention Research Center at the University of Arizona a $3.9 million dollar grant to come up with a plan bringing border towns a healthier way of life.

Dr. Lisa Staten says the exact reason why people in border towns suffer higher rates of chronic illnesses is becoming more clear, "If an individual wants to eat healthy but there is no healthy food in the store. How do you do it? If an individual wants to be more physically active but you have no sidewalk or dogs loose in the area. There are lots of different things happening from stopping people being healthy. "

Staten says the 3.9 million dollars will go to border health agencies who will help research the model.

"We're here to assure that what they're researching and proposing meets the needs of our community members," says Gail Emrick, Director of the Southeast Arizona Area Health Education Center."

S.E.A.H.E.C.'s been recruiting and training area health professionals for 25 years and will conduct a national border health survey.

"They actually ask our opinion based on what we feel priority health needs are," says Emrick. "We're in touch with providers and community members along the border."

Staten say the $3.9 million dollar research model for health in border towns, will benefit generations to come, "Healthier individuals are more productive they are less of a burden on the system."

Emrick says it doesn't take research to know health care professionals near the border are in high demand, "We have a shortage of doctors, nurses, pharmacists, dentists you name it."

Staten says the grant money is in hand and ready to be put to use making border towns healthier places to live, "As far as a research study to really develop a model for how this works , we think we're the first to do this."