Date
October 23, 2012
Nearly 79 million American adults are estimated to have prediabetes, a condition also known as borderline diabetes. One program shown to reduce the risk of this chronic disease is the DPP, a behavioral modification program that has been proven to help prevent the onset of Type 2 diabetes by helping participants make modest lifestyle changes that result in weight loss.
Over the past two years, NYHealth has partnered with the Alliance of New York State YMCAs and the New York State Department of Health to replicate the DPP at YMCAs in 10 regions of the State. The DPP has been shown to reduce the risk of adults with prediabetes from developing the disease by more than 50%.
At the conference, national and State leaders examined the Type 2 diabetes burden and promising solutions to slow the epidemic; discussed opportunities to spread the DPP in a variety of settings throughout New York State; and explored the role of payers and community leaders in helping to bring this program to scale.
Dr. Ann Albright, Director of the Division of Diabetes Translation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, gave an overview of the national perspective on diabetes prevention. Dr. Albright said the DPP is a known model that works to reduce participants’ risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, and that the program is implementable across groups of people and settings. The 5-7% weight reductions achieved by participants, which in turn lowers their risk of developing diabetes by more than 50%, are the same whether the program is delivered by a clinician (the original model) or by a trained lifestyle coach (the Y-DPP adaptation).
Dr. Nirav Shah, Commissioner, New York State Department of Health, spoke about diabetes prevention and primary care in New York State and said there was no more costly disease than diabetes. The diabetes epidemic in New York must be tackled head on and it can not be fixed with the traditional health care delivery system.
Efforts to replicate the DPP through the YMCA nationally and through the New York State Y-DPP project were presented by Kyle Stewart, Executive Director, Alliance of New York State YMCAs, and Dr. Matt Longjohn, Senior Director of Chronic Disease Prevention, YMCA of the USA.
Two panels focused on the payer perspective for investing in prevention and on the community leader and provider perspective of why prevention matters. Both panels were moderated by Dr. David Marrero, J.O. Ritchey Professor of Medicine, Department of Medicine and Director of the Diabetes Translational Research Center at Indiana University School of Medicine. Dr. Marrero was an original member of the team tasked with developing and translating the DPP into community settings.
The first panel included representatives from national and New York State regional health plans who discussed their reasons for investing in the DPP: Timothy Koehler, President, Diabetes Prevention and Control Alliance, UnitedHealth Group; Rachel Sunley, Corporate Wellness Specialist, Independent Health; and Dr. Arthur Vercillo, Central New York Regional President, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield. UnitedHealth Group has developed a partnership with select YMCAs that offer the Y-DPP to United beneficiaries, while Independent Health is now providing reimbursement for participants at several western New York Y-DPP locations. Excellus BlueCross BlueShield has given a grant the Human Services Coalition to test out the DPP in Tompkins County. Funding and reimbursement from these insurers allows participating YMCAs and community-based organizations to subsidize the cost of the program so that beneficiaries have little to no out-of-pocket cost for participating in and completing the program.
The second panel included community leaders and health care providers who shared the benefits and lessons learned from offering the DPP to their constituents and patients: Guedy Arniella, Director, Community Health and Outreach, Institute for Family Health; Chris Brassie, Internist Associates of Central New York; Judy Ouziel, Senior Executive Director of Strategic Initiatives, YMCA of Greater New York; and Michel Faulkner, President and CEO, Institute for Leadership. The panelists offered their perspective and vision for scaling the DPP in communities hardest hit by the diabetes epidemic.
There was also an overview of resources to help scale the DPP in New York State presented by Susan Millstein, Director, New York State Diabetes Prevention and Control Program, New York State Department of Health, and Maureen Spence, Assistant Director, Bureau of Community Chronic Disease Prevention, New York State Department of Health.
The conference concluded with a call to action and a new video that shows the Y-DPP’s impact on the health of New Yorkers and how the program is helping to reverse the epidemic throughout the State.
Download the conference speakers’ PowerPoint presentations below:
Michel Faulkner, President and CEO, Institute for Leadership
Timothy Koehler, President, Diabetes Prevention and Control Alliance, UnitedHealth Group
The following papers offer more information on the evidence for the DPP; the progress and results of the program’s implementation in New York State; and next steps for taking the program to scale in other community-based settings:
“By the Facts: Diabetes Prevention Program”
“Diabetes Prevention: Moving Forward with the Evidence”
“New York State YMCA Diabetes Prevention Program: Outcomes and Implications”
The University at Albany Center for Excellence in Aging and Community Wellness Quality and Technical Assistance Center has developed materials that offer information, resources, and contact information for organizations interested in implementing the New York State Diabetes Prevention Program:
New York State Diabetes Prevention Program Materials and Resources