Letter to Senator Nelson in support of pending bill written for Community Nutrition course.

1. November 9, 2014
The Honorable Bill Nelson
716 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Senator Nelson:
As a fellow native Floridian, I would like to thank you for co-sponsoring S.539; the National
Diabetes Clinical Care Commission Act. This bill will establish a Commission within the
Department of Health and Human Services that will evaluate current federally funded diabetes
programs and recommend the necessary measures to fill the gaps in such programs. The goal of
this bill is to provide better coordination of care as well as prevention programs for pre-diabetes
and diabetes.
Diabetes and pre-diabetes is a growing concern in our country. According to the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, over 20 million Americans have been diagnosed with diabetes
with over 1.5 million being Florida residents.1
Studies have found that coordination of care,
expansion of diabetes education, and cost-effective interventions are necessary for the treatment
and prevention of diabetes particularly for older Americans.2
All of these goals could be met
should this bill be enacted.
As a future registered dietitian, I applaud the inclusion of certified diabetes educators and clinical
dietitians on this proposed commission. The link between diabetes management and nutrition is
undisputed. The ideal situation would be for an individual with diabetes to be referred to a Registered
Dietitian for nutrition therapy and nutrition education. Unfortunately, most individuals in our country are
not receiving the proper treatment or education for their diabetes in the area of nutrition.3
This is one of
the gaps the proposed bill will fill.
In addition, this bill is in line with and would help promote the Healthy People 2020 objectives
related to diabetes. For example, the coordination of care proposed in this bill would help
increase the number of persons who receive an annual dental exam, increase the number of
persons who receive diabetes education, and ultimately reduce the number of newly diagnosed
cases in our country.4
Unfortunately, it appears that this bill is currently stalled in committee. I would ask your
assistance in promoting the further progression of this important legislation. Thank you for your
attention in this matter. If I can be of any assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me at ***-
***-****.
Sincerely,
Carole Annette Adams
Orlando, FL 32835

2. WORKS CITED
1. Diagnosed Diabetes. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2012. Available at:
http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/statistics/prevalence_national.htm. Accessed November
1, 2014.
2. Caspersen, CJ, Thomas, GD, Boseman, LA, Beckles, GLA, Albright, AL. Aging,
Diabetes, and the Public Health System in the United States. American Journal of
Public Health. 2012;102(8):1482-1497. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2011.300616.
3. Evert, AB, Boucher, JL, Cypress, M, et al. Nutrition Therapy Recommendations for
the Management of Adults With Diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2013;36(11):3821-3842.
doi:10.2337/dc13-2042.
4. Diabetes. Healthy People 2020. Available at:
http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/diabetes. Accessed
November 1, 2014.

3. Academic Honor Code
All students in attendance at The University of Alabama are expected to be honorable and to
observe standards of conduct appropriate to a community of scholars. The University of
Alabama expects from its students a higher standard of conduct than the minimum required to
avoid discipline. Each student is expected to read the Academic Honor Pledge. The pledge reads
as follows:
I promise or affirm that I will not at any time be involved with cheating, plagiarism, fabrication,
or misrepresentation while enrolled as a student at The University of Alabama. I have read the
Academic Honor Code, which explains disciplinary procedures that will result from the
aforementioned. I understand that violation of this code will result in penalties as severe as
indefinite suspension from the University.
Name: Carole (Annette) Adams___ CWID 11447282