The Campaign Against
Diabetes
The staff of Porcupine Clinic recognize that diabetes is a major killer of our people.
Dr. Mark Butterbrodt came to the Porcupine Clinic in 1995 and immediately took up the
cause of combating the disease with the Lakota people. When the Doctor arrived he brought
with him a $10,000 grant to initiate a program for at risk diseases. He applied this grant
to the Diabetes project.
Many of the staff and Dr.Butterbrodt worked tirelessly, volunteering hundreds of hours
to the program. They designed a project to screen children to find those at high
risk for diabetes. They also designed information components for the schools and
the families of children at risk.
The screening was completed at four schools during the first two years. A coordinator
was hired for the program with the grant moneys and the activities were implemented with
small donations from other sources. Dr. Butterbrodt donated two days/week of his time to
the project, as did other community and staff members.
The program was a great success and at the end of two years. It identified 25%
of the students who were screened as at-risk of diabetes. The informational
sessions also informed the families and community of diabetes prevention and that it CAN
BE PREVENTED! The project also was a catalyst for a major federal grant for diabetes
prevention, that is now administered by the clinic.