Union County Welcomes A New Rural Health & Nutrition Agent

February 16, 2023

Hello Everyone,

My name is Julia Newsome, and I am the new Rural Health & Nutrition Agent for Union and Cherokee Counties. I moved from Upstate New York to Upstate South Carolina in June 2022, and in November 2022 I became part of the Clemson Extension team. 
Two programs I’ll work on are the “Know Diabetes by Heart (KDBH)” and “Health Extension for Diabetes (HED)” programs.

• KDBH is sponsored by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and American Heart Association (AHA). It is a free education session offered in-person or online. The program aims to help participants better understand the link between diabetes and heart disease. By participating in this one-hour session, you will learn more about risks related to diabetes and heart disease, how to take control of your risks, and learn about community and clinical resources.
• HED is a free diabetes support program recognized by the ADA as a practice-tested diabetes support program. The main goal of this program is to help participants better manage diabetes to prevent or delay complications. HED is 4 months long and includes a series of 8 education sessions and intermittent support sessions; Each session is designed to help participants learn more about diabetes and provide them with necessary skills and support to successfully self-manage diabetes. Participants will receive bi-weekly materials and weekly follow-up to help navigate resources and reach healthy lifestyle goals; A Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes diagnosis is required for enrollment.

The goal of the Rural Health and Nutrition Extension Team is to help all South Carolinians prevent and self-manage chronic disease. Our programs are valuable because they are free, mobile, and can be held virtually, in-person, or hybrid (delivery is program specific). Please feel free to email me if there is something you think I can help you with. Overall, I’m looking forward to serving Union and Cherokee counties, while maintaining the Clemson Extension standard of service.

Julia’s Contact Information:
Office – 864-424-8275
Email – Janewso@clemson.edu