American Diabetes Association, Inc.

The National Diabetes Prevention Program (NDPP)— an evidence-based lifestyle change program for preventing diabetes— has demonstrated that the risk of developing diabetes can be reduced by more than half among participants who lose 5% to 7% of their body weight.

The New York Health Foundation (NYHealth) has funded a range of activities to help organizations implement, expand, and secure sustainability of the NDPP in community-based settings across the State. To foster coordination of NDPP offerings in the Greater Buffalo and Greater Rochester regions, NYHealth awarded the American Diabetes Association (ADA) a grant to serve as a regional program coordinator to increase demand for the NDPP, build referral networks, and advise NYHealth on strategies to encourage reimbursement for the program.

Under this grant, ADA visited primary care providers in Monroe and Erie counties, prioritizing geographic areas in the vicinity of existing NDPP program locations. During these visits, ADA introduced clinical providers and their office staff members to the program, disseminated existing diabetes control and prevention resource guides, and connected them to local NDPP sites. In addition, ADA convened monthly collaborative meetings of NDPP site leaders. It convened an NDPP workgroup of board leaders to help advance the conversation and advocate for reimbursement.