American College of Endocrinology (ACE) and Lilly Diabetes Offer New Tips to Help People With Diabetes Prepare for Emergencies

"How To" video also available to guide emergency kit creation

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May 23, 2012, 09:00 ET

PHILADELPHIA, May 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the American College of Endocrinology (ACE) and Lilly Diabetes launched the "EmPower Diabetes Emergency Plan" – a newly designed resource to help people with diabetes prepare for emergency situations – big or small. (Download at www.EmPowerYourHealth.org).

The EmPower Diabetes Emergency Plan represents a new phase for the program, previously known as the Diabetes Disaster Plan, originally launched by ACE and Lilly Diabetes in 2006 following Hurricane Katrina. The new plan extends beyond natural disasters and encourages people with diabetes to be prepared for other types of unexpected situations.

Natural disasters have already been prevalent in 2012 with a record-breaking number of tornadoes in the US and more than 15,000 warm temperature records broken nationwide. These natural disasters are obvious emergencies, but even the unanticipated, everyday circumstance can become an emergency for someone with diabetes if they find themselves without proper supplies or medication.

"The health of a person with diabetes depends on discipline, balance and good decision making – things that tend to suffer when stressed by an emergency," said Dr. Lawrence Blonde, MD, FACP, FACE. "We hope the resources we've created, when implemented, will help people rest easier knowing that if they need to act, their emergency kit with the necessary supplies to maintain their health is ready. That way, they can focus on managing, or in some instances, surviving, the situation at hand – especially when seconds count."

The new EmPower Diabetes Emergency Plan, available in both English and Spanish, comes in a tear-proof, waterproof format that folds into a credit card-sized brochure which can help facilitate easy reference from a wallet or purse. To order hard copies of the checklist, visit www.EmPowerYourHealth.org.

In addition to the new checklist, ACE and Lilly Diabetes also released a four-minute "how-to" video that showcases how quick and easy it is to prepare an emergency kit in advance. The clip provides step-by-step instruction, based on checklist information, and can be viewed by logging onto www.EmPowerYourHealth.org.

Some of the recommendations featured in the video include packing:

A list of medications
Prescription refills
Healthcare professional contact information
A separate supply of medications and testing supplies
Food and water

"Lilly Diabetes is committed to providing real solutions for people with diabetes to use in their everyday lives – particularly when those lives are threatened by disasters or other unexpected events," said Dr. Jeffrey Jackson, senior medical advisor, Lilly Diabetes. "Our partnership with ACE allows us to fulfill that promise and help people with diabetes and their families ready themselves for the unexpected so their health may be protected regardless of the situation."

To learn more about the campaign, download and order hard copies of the checklist, and to view the video, please visit www.EmPowerYourHealth.org.

About the American College of Endocrinology (ACE)

The American College of Endocrinology (ACE) is the educational and scientific arm of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE). ACE is the leader in advancing the care and prevention of endocrine and metabolic disorders by: providing professional education and reliable public health information; recognizing excellence in education, research and service; promoting clinical research and defining the future of Clinical Endocrinology. For more information, please visit www.aace.com.

About Lilly Diabetes

Lilly has been a global leader in diabetes care since 1923, when we introduced the world's first commercial insulin. Today we work to meet the diverse needs of people with diabetes through research and collaboration, a broad and growing product portfolio and a continued commitment to providing real solutions–from medicines to support programs and more–to make lives better. For more information, visit www.lillydiabetes.com.

About Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY)

Lilly, a leading innovation-driven corporation, is developing a growing portfolio of pharmaceutical products by applying the latest research from its own worldwide laboratories and from collaborations with eminent scientific organizations. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind., Lilly provides answers - through medicines and information - for some of the world's most urgent medical needs. Information about Lilly is available at www.lilly.com.

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