Guest Author: Cal Powell
A program led by a researcher in the University of Georgia’s College of Family and Consumer Sciences is helping Georgia residents manage their diabetes.
The Health Extension for Diabetes program ®, led by FACS faculty member Michelle Parisi, leverages the vast UGA Extension network and healthcare partners to deliver programming aimed at reducing complications from diabetes.
The program is supported by a $5 million grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and is in the process of expanding from its launch site, South Carolina, into Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama and North Carolina.
In 2025, 81 participants completed the eight diabetes sessions and more than 250 participants across the region have graduated from the program.
“The program is demonstrating effectiveness,” said Parisi, a UGA Extension chronic disease specialist and assistant professor in the FACS department of nutritional sciences. “Participants from across the region are reporting increased knowledge, self-confidence and behaviors of diabetes self-management from pre- to post-program completion. Clinical partners make the program possible as they provide critical support and topic expertise to agents and participants during program delivery.”
The four-month program targets individuals with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, which affects approximately 1 million Georgians.
The curriculum is structured around seven diabetes self-care behaviors outlined by the Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists (ADCES).
UGA Extension agents provide sessions covering nutrition, physical activity, stress management and community resources, and clinical partners lead sessions on complications, blood glucose monitoring and medication management.
“Complications are common for people living with diabetes and lead to decreased quality of life and increased healthcare expenses,” Parisi said. “If you can self-manage complications, you can improve your health and quality of life, while significantly decreasing the cost of healthcare related to diabetes.”
Agents in six Georgia counties – Elbert, Monroe, Morgan, Athens-Clarke, Fulton and Gwinnett – began leading the program in February 2025. An additional nine counties will participate this year.
UGA Extension agent Ariathni Powell delivered in-person programming to 15 participants at the Morgan County Senior Center last year and recently welcomed a second cohort.
“The vast majority of the new participants came from word of mouth from previous participants,” she said, adding that participants in the original cohort demonstrated a significant increase in self-efficacy after completing the program.
A new online group began in February 2026 and many other in-person and online groups started. For more information and to sign up for online classes, contact Parisi at michelle.parisi@uga.edu.
“The goal is to offer Health Extension for Diabetes through Extension at land-grant universities in every state,” Parisi said, “to collectively help individuals with diabetes manage their disease and prevent long-term complications.”