Funded by the Aboriginal Diabetes Initiative (ADI) of First Nations and Inuit Health Branch (FNIHB), PAGC’s Diabetes team consists of one part-time Registered Nurse/ADI Coordinator and two full-time Registered Dietitians and 1 CPNP Coordinator.

Our Diabetes Program is designed to build capacity within each community to help prevent and manage diabetes. Our team provides individual and group education on topics, such as healthy eating and chronic disease prevention and management. The program is delivered to the communities of Wahpeton Dakota Nation, Little Red River Reserve, Montreal Lake Cree Nation, Shoal Lake Cree Nation, Red Earth Cree Nation, Cumberland House Cree Nation, and Hatchet Lake Denesuline Nation. Screening clinics cover diabetes as well as kidney disease and heart disease.

Over the past year, Food Security initiatives have been undertaken in several PAGC communities. Projects have included community and container gardens, cooking classes, baby food-making workshops, and breastfeeding workshops. We also participate with our Head Start On-Reserve and Daycare Programs to implement new menu planning guidelines, and, in conjunction with Maternal Child Health, we offer healthy living programs to families.

The ADI team provides presentations and displays at PAGC initiatives, such as conferences, assemblies, and workshops. We also participate with health promotion committees in order to enhance the work of the ADI team in sharing the knowledge, resources, and partnerships with the communities. We routinely collaborate with other health agencies to provide an interdisciplinary and intersectoral approach to client care. In particular, we have mentored students from the University of Saskatchewan Nutrition and Dietetics Program and the Nursing Education Program of Saskatchewan.