A nurse dedicated to stopping the diabetes epidemic

I’m thankful that I get to do something I feel passionately about. I feel blessed to do the work I do, to be able to give people the tools they need.’

SIOBHAN GROSS REALLY HATES DIABETES

But more than that, she hates to see anyone suffer when she can help.

For more than 30 years, Gross has been called to nursing, and she has spent almost all of those years teaching people of all ages and from all walks of life about diabetes.

As a young R.N., Gross worked on an orthopedic floor where she saw people who had a toe or a foot amputated because of diabetes. She was shocked that people didn’t understand the connection between diabetes and the health of one’s feet.

“They hadn’t gotten even the most minor education about their disease,” Gross said. Gross k new what she had to do: “What I like to do is explain diabetes.”

Gross uses a simple explanation to help new patients visualize what having too much sugar in your blood means. “I explain that with high blood sugar, their blood is thick, like honey, and it’s slowing things down making their hearts work harder and increasing the chance of a clot that could lead to a stroke. Good blood is thin, like water.”

ALWAYS ENJOYED HELPING OTHERS

As a kid growing up in New Jersey, Gross knew she would do something that helped people. With a degree in psychology followed by a degree in nursing, Gross landed a job at Jupiter Medical Center in 1987, where she still works today. Gross teaches both group and individual classes for newly diagnosed diabetics, and she also teaches insulin pump training, working both inside and outside the hospital.

Invaluable to her hospital patients, her commitment to community out reach is a gift to Palm Beach County residents. Gross will speak when she’s invited, and she welcomes opportunities to spread the word on diabetes. She enjoys teaching kids about healthy eating and wellness, addressing topics like portion size and the importance of fruits and vegetables in the diet.

“There are many more people out there who need help,” Gross said. And she’s right. About 13.1 percent of the people in Florida have been diagnosed with diabetes and another 579,000 have it but don’t know it. “The problem is you can feel fine and still have high blood sugar,” Gross said. “One quarter of people don’t know

they have diabetes.”

Gross has received awards and recognition for her contributions. “But I don’t do it for the recognition. I do it because I love what I do. I’m thankful that I get to do something I feel passionately about. I feel blessed to do the work I do, to be able to give people the tools they need.”