We sat down with Maria Wagner to learn more about Orthus Health for Diabetes and the importance of diabetes management, especially during a time of national pandemic.
Tell us about yourself.
I am from western Pennsylvania, specifically the Pittsburgh area where I obtained my nursing degree from the University of Pittsburgh. I moved to the Raleigh area about three years ago and obtained my certification for diabetes education from the National Certification Board of Diabetes Educators.
I worked in the Duke Health System for over three years. Most recently, I worked at Duke Children’s Specialty Clinic as an ambulatory care nurse and Certified Diabetes Educator.
I have an immense amount of personal experience with diabetes as I was diagnosed with type 1 when I was just 10 years old. My biggest takeaway from dealing with this disease for so many years is how vital my lifestyle choices are in-between my physician visits – that’s where wellness steps in.
How can Orthus Health for Diabetes help individuals living with diabetes?
Physician visits are and should be an important part of routine diabetes care, but managing diabetes is so complex and involved that it can sometimes feel like a full-time job. Orthus Health for Diabetes gives individuals their own personal care assistant and lightens the burden that diabetes can bring to everyday life.
Physician appointments may be just 30 minutes every 3 to 4 months. This program allows individuals to fill those gaps in care between physician visits, allowing them to stay on track with their current health plan and give their diabetes condition the attention it needs to develop greater blood sugar control, faster.
It can be hard to start a new program when an individual has not controlled their condition for years – how can this help individuals who may be hesitant to change and expose their current lifestyle?
That is exactly why Orthus Health for Diabetes is here! We have an amazing team that truly works together to keep your health and wellness goals front and center. This program has undergone beta testing with varying types of care levels from well-controlled and compliant, to poorly controlled. We understand that every person comes from incredibly different backgrounds, with varying complications and lifestyles. All this information is uniquely and intelligently combined to give every member a personalized approach to diabetes management.
How is Orthus Health for Diabetes different from other diabetes management platforms?
Unlike other diabetes management platforms, Orthus Health for Diabetes was built, not on maintaining the status quo, but on improvement. This program extends our singular wellness platform with unique tools to support, empower, and advise individuals living with diabetes.
We support individuals with easy-to-use technology to regularly capture blood glucose readings from ANY glucose meter, including non-connected or Bluetooth devices. Our program is designed to empower those individuals with analytics-driven, individualized nutrition, exercise and adherence alerts.
To ensure they are keeping up with their recommended care plan, Orthus Health for Diabetes also advises individuals with diabetes or pre-diabetes through digital and telephonic health coaching to avert undesirable complications and inspire positive behavior change.