Preparation Is Personal for Those with Chronic Illnesses

My Diabetes Emergency Plan helps patients with diabetes prepare for severe weather emergencies and unexpected predicaments

News provided by

Eli Lilly and Company

Mar 30, 2015, 01:00 ET

AUSTIN, Texas, March 30, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

News Highlights:

ACE logo

.@TheAACE and @LillyDiabetes highlight the My Diabetes Emergency Plan at the 2015 @NatHurricaneCon
.@TheAACE and @LillyDiabetes at @NatHurricaneCon to encourage you to be prepared to manage your #diabetes before emergencies strike

The American College of Endocrinology (ACE) – the charitable, educational and scientific arm of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) – has joined forces with Lilly Diabetes to share the My Diabetes Emergency Plan with more than 2,000 federal, state and local government officials, meteorologists, and emergency preparedness professionals at the 2015 National Hurricane Conference in Austin, Texas.

ACE and Lilly Diabetes, recognizing the importance of advance planning, created the My Diabetes Emergency Plan to help people with diabetes make a plan to manage their care before emergencies strike. The plan highlights a checklist of essential items needed in an emergency kit in the event of a disaster. Among the items are a 30-day supply of all medications, blood glucose testing supplies, contact information for all healthcare providers, food, water, and a source of fast-acting carbohydrates to treat low blood glucose reactions.

People with chronic diseases such as diabetes are especially vulnerable during disasters when they are displaced from their homes. Medications, food and other vital supplies can be a matter of life and death to these patients.

The National Hurricane Conference offers ACE an outlet to distribute Spanish and English versions of the emergency checklists and DVD video kits with instructions on how to properly pack an emergency kit.

"Patient education and community outreach are an integral part of ACE's activities, as evidenced in programs such as the My Diabetes Emergency Plan," said Dr. R. Mack Harrell, President of AACE. "AACE is pleased to participate in the National Hurricane Conference, knowing that local and state government officials and meteorologists attending this meeting can help deliver these important materials to those patients in need."

The National Hurricane Conference is held annually to discuss pathways of preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation in order to save the lives of those who are put in the path of a hurricane or other natural disasters.

"With record-breaking amounts of precipitation this winter and severe summer storms still in recent memory, the National Hurricane Conference is the perfect place to educate those responsible for at-risk populations about the tools available to help people prepare for emergencies in advance," said Dr. Jeffrey Jackson, endocrinologist and senior medical adviser, Lilly Diabetes. "Emergencies come in all sizes, but when weather emergencies happen it's even more important for people with diabetes to be ready. Their health may depend on it."

The video and downloadable checklists are available for free download at www.mydiabetesemergencyplan.com.

About the American College of Endocrinology (ACE)
The American College of Endocrinology (ACE) is the charitable, 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 are building upon this heritage by working to meet the diverse needs of people with diabetes and those who care for them. Through research and collaboration, a broad and growing product portfolio and a continued determination to provide real solutions—from medicines to support programs and more—we strive to make life better for all those affected by diabetes around the world. For more information, visit www.lillydiabetes.com or follow us on Twitter: @LillyDiabetes.

About Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY)
Lilly is a global healthcare leader that unites caring with discovery to make life better for people around the world. We were founded more than a century ago by a man committed to creating high-quality medicines that meet real needs, and today we remain true to that mission in all our work. Across the globe, Lilly employees work to discover and bring life-changing medicines to those who need them, improve the understanding and management of disease, and give back to communities through philanthropy and volunteerism. To learn more about Lilly, please visit us at www.lilly.com and newsroom.lilly.com/social-channels.

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