(Buffalo, NY) – WNED’s ThinkBright and Well channel (Digital 17.3/Time Warner 21/Verizon FiOS TV 472) will present the broadcast premiere of My Health Counts!Living Well with Diabetes on Nov. 1 at 9 p.m. This 30-minute television special will then premiere on WNED-TV Nov. 5 at 10 p.m. Additional information and resources will be available online at wned.org.

WNED and ThinkBright and Well joined forces with the P2 Collaborative of Western New York (a coalition of more than 200 health service and community organizations) to develop the My Health Counts! television and outreach campaign. The goal is to share important information about what people can do to improve their health, working alongside doctors and other members of their health care team.

The fourth program, Living Well with Diabetes, addresses a topic directly affecting an estimated 80 million Americans who either have diabetes or are on the verge of developing it. Living well with this disease requires a combination of good medical care and effective self-management.

As Dr. Thomas Dilamarter tells one of his patients in the program, “I like having an impact on your health care, but it’s not as easy as me writing a bunch of scripts and sending you on your way. I need your help. I need you to work on your diet. I need you to exercise.”

“More and more, we are facing chronic conditions and are being asked to make important decisions about our own health,” says My Health Counts! Producer Christy May.

“That can be a frightening prospect—or an empowering one,” she adds. “When it comes to health care, people have more power than they think. My Health Counts! is an attitude—you are in control of your health.”

During the program, Buffalo native Susan Hunt hosts an informative, upbeat conversation with two studio guest experts: Dr. Donald Robinson and Pamela J. Beamer, a certified diabetes educator and registered dietician. They define diabetes and discuss the serious consequences of uncontrolled diabetes. They also identify key self-care behaviors: eating healthy, being active, monitoring, taking medication, problem solving, reducing risks and healthy coping. They also give viewers guidelines for crucial tests, results and goals.

In addition, Western New Yorkers who are successfully managing their diabetes offer motivating advice as they share the lessons they’ve learned, their fears, challenges and strategies.

“Whether you have diabetes, pre-diabetes or you are trying to prevent diabetes, My Health Counts! Living Well With Diabetesis a must-see television program,” said Beamer, who also serves as president of the Western New York Leadership Board of The American Diabetes Association. “The personal stories are compelling and the education provided is invaluable. Anyone affected by diabetes will learn useful information to immediately apply to their own lives."

Major funding for this program was provided by BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York and the New York State Department of Health.

The first three My Health Counts! programs (which premiered in 2008-2009) focused on fundamentals of health and wellness. All three will air Nov. 1 on ThinkBright and Well: Partnering with Your Doctor (9:30 p.m.); Fostering Self-Management (10 p.m.) and Quest for Quality (10:30 p.m.). Each program also will air separately on WNED-TV Nov. 12, 19 and 26 at 10 p.m. Building on these essentials, the continuing series focuses on individual diseases and conditions. A fifth My Health Counts! program (scheduled to premiere in March 2011) will focus on preventing colorectal cancer.