Governer Ed Rendell is worried. An estimated eight percent of Pennsylvanians have diabetes. Nearly 800,000 people. We all know money talks, and what has caught the attention of state politicians is the tremendous cost to manage chronic diseases.

Governor Rendell recently shared that about 78 percent of the state's health care costs are linked to 20 percent of chronic diseased patients. The Governor has announced The Pennsylvania Diabetes Action Plan to improve how Pennsylvanians with chronic disease benefit from future health care.

In an effort to prepare Pennsylvania to educate the public about diabetes and diabetes prevention, and improve management of the disease to reduce complications, the Plan focuses on four key areas: surveillance, standards of care, health policy, and evaluation.

Truly a collaborative of care, more than 200 stakeholders, agencies, organizations and individuals contributed to the Pennsylvania Diabetes Action Plan. The plan was funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and a state appropriation.

In 2005, potentially avoidable hospitalizations for diabetics in Pennsylvania cost nearly $730 million. Now that is a number even the Governor cannot ignore.