Key Note: Lower Your A1C

Healthcare leaders have called type 2 diabetes “a national health crisis,” but our guest this month has good news to share. Jessica Vatel, a registered dietitian and certified diabetes care and education specialist at the Brooklyn Hospital Center, is excited by the latest approaches to treating diabetes, including education, coaching and personal empowerment. Working with people living with the condition to develop healthy habits and problem-solving skills, Jessica discusses how putting the power in patients’ hands—along with medical advances—is helping more people manage their diabetes.

The Takeaway: 

• Get started on your health journey by making an appointment with your primary care physician. Don’t have one? Find one at our Provider Directory: www.1199SEIUBenefits.org/find-a-provider.   

• Visit the Healthy Living Resource Center for wellness tips, information and resources: www.1199SEIUBenefits.org/healthyliving. 

• Get to know your numbers:  www.1199SEIUBenefits.org/healthyhearts. 

• Join WeightWatchers® at a discounted rate of just $5 a month or $0 if you are living with diabetes or prediabetes: www.1199SEIUBenefits.org/ww. 

• If you are living with diabetes and get your primary care from a physician at the Brooklyn Hospital Center, learn more about their Diabetes Care Program by calling (718) 250-6433. 

• If you are living with type 2 diabetes, find out more about our partner Virta’s diabetes reversal program: www.virtahealth.com/join/1199. 

• Get inspired by fellow members through our Members' Voices series: www.1199SEIUBenefits.org/healthyliving/membervoices.  

• Stop by our Benefits Channel to join webinars on managing stress, building healthy meals and more: www.1199SEIUBenefits.org/videos. 

• Visit our YouTube channel to view a wide collection of healthy living videos: www.YouTube.com/@1199SEIUBenefitFunds/playlists. 

• Sample our wellness classes to exercise body and mind: www.1199SEIUBenefits.org/wellnessevents. 

• View Jessica in action, counseling Home Health Aide Lavern King: https://youtu.be/19slcdFvH7w. 

Guest Bio: 

Jessica Vatel is a registered dietitian and certified diabetes care and education specialist with the Brooklyn Hospital Center, where she has been employed as an 1199SEIU member since 2015. Jessica specializes in all aspects of support for people living with diabetes, including nutrition and lifestyle counseling, diabetes technology (continuous glucose monitoring and insulin pump therapy), medications, weight management, monitoring/preventive screenings, and developing healthy coping skills/problem solving skills to better manage and live with diabetes. Jessica feels passionate about empowering patients to manage their health and increase their knowledge surrounding disease management to ultimately improve their quality of life.