New York State Diabetes Campaign Launches 'Half the Care' Ad Campaign to Improve Diabetes Care

NEW YORK, Nov. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- With 1.7 million New Yorkers suffering from diabetes, and 3.7 million at risk for developing the disease, the New York State Diabetes Campaign today unveiled a statewide advertising initiative urging physicians to provide more comprehensive care to their patients with diabetes.

Diabetes patients receive only 45% of recommended clinical care based on national guidelines for screening, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up.* In response to this startling finding, the "Half the Care" campaign features full-page images of doctors split in half to dramatize the fact that patients receive half the care they need and promotes a rallying message that "We can do better."

"Diabetes is a life-altering disease, and patients' first line of defense against its devastating complications is their doctors. We have a critical responsibility to ensure that people get the care they need to live a full life," said Neil Calman, MD, family physician, President of the Institute for Family Health, and Campaign Director. Pointing to the fact that the number of New Yorkers with diabetes could fill Yankee Stadium more than 32 times, he added, "We play a role in this figure, and we can do better. When doctors provide proper treatment and care, we can save lives, organs, limbs, and vision. These ads are designed to connect clinicians with the resources and support they need to do exactly that."

"Because of the flood of patients and the complexity of treating diabetes, many providers are overwhelmed," said Wanda Montalvo, RN, MSN, Clinical Director of the Campaign. "We're partnering with the state's leading medical professional and health care trade associations to provide training, technical assistance, and support to help physicians provide the best care possible." The Campaign, for a limited time, is paying the fees for providers to participate in national programs that recognize physicians and nurse practitioners as "diabetes providers of excellence."

The "Half the Care" ads will launch in November, National Diabetes Awareness Month, in professional medical publications including the Journal of the American Medical Association and the New England Journal of Medicine, as well as on popular medical Web sites, such as Medscape. Educational materials also will be distributed directly to more than 11,000 physicians across New York State. Doctors and other health care providers can access important resources on a dedicated Web site, www.FullDiabetesCare.org.

"Diabetes has become a national epidemic and only through a concentrated effort at every level will we be able to reverse its course," said George Huntley, Chair of the Board, American Diabetes Association. "The New York State Diabetes Campaign's 'Half the Care' initiative will reach thousands of health care providers across New York, and their efforts compliment the Association's national Stop Diabetes(SM) movement to end the devastating toll that diabetes takes on the lives of millions of individuals and families across our nation."

"Diabetes poses not only a serious health risk, but also a huge financial burden on New Yorkers," said Jacqueline Martinez, Senior Program Director of the New York State Health Foundation (NYSHealth), which launched the Diabetes Campaign in 2008. The total cost of diabetes in New York State in 2006 was estimated to be more than $12 billion.

Martinez added that the Campaign is engaging community and faith-based leaders and also advocating for better access to nutritious foods and physical activity space. "The Foundation has invested in this Campaign to transform diabetes care in New York, and that means empowering both the providers and the communities that they serve," she said.

For more information about NYSHealth and the work of its grantees, please visit: www.nyshealthfoundation.org. For more information about the New York State Diabetes Campaign, please visit: www.nysdiabetescampaign.org.

Established in 2008 with a five-year, $35 million investment from the New York State Health Foundation, the New York State Diabetes Campaign works to improve clinical care among primary care providers, mobilize communities, and promote policies that will sustain high quality clinical care and healthy environments. The Campaign aims to reverse the statewide diabetes epidemic and significantly improve the health outcomes of New Yorkers with diabetes.

The New York State Health Foundation is a private Foundation dedicated to improving the health of all New Yorkers. NYSHealth has a three-part mission: expanding health insurance coverage, increasing access to high-quality health care services, and improving public and community health by educating New Yorkers about health issues and empowering communities to address them.

    CONTACT
    David Nachtweih, (212) 561-8730 ext. 229
    Denise Young Farrell, (212) 206-5241

*Source: New England Journal of Medicine, 2003