Programs Improve Health Outcomes for Diabetes Patients in Pennsylvania

PITTSBURGH, Nov. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- To coincide with National Diabetes Awareness Month, the Highmark Foundation today released a report, "Improving Access to Diabetes Care and Services in Pennsylvania through Coordinated Strategies," which details the impact of the more than $1.6 million that the foundation has provided to help increase access to diabetes care and services for Pennsylvanians. Diabetes affects 760,000 individuals, or 6.1 percent of the population, in Pennsylvania.

"Our grant making has supported programs that reduce the effects of diabetes and improve the quality of life for people living with the disease," said Yvonne Cook, president of the Highmark Foundation. "Diabetes can lead to serious health complications, including heart disease and stroke, hypertension, visual impairment, amputations, dental disease, pregnancy-related complications or even premature death."

Four hospitals, a Federally Qualified Health Center, a spiritual and health-based wellness project and a university received funding for programs that have shown promising and measurable outcomes. The programs have reduced the prevalence of diabetes and illustrated the effectiveness of early intervention and preventive health programs.

• Centers for Healthy Hearts and Souls (Allegheny County) received $246,000 for the expansion of the Healthy Individual, Family Community Program. Approximately 25 people have enrolled in the diabetes support program and have been taught how to live with diabetes through education, fitness and self-assessment.
• Hamilton Health Center (Dauphin County) received $250,000 in support of the Healthy Outcomes Program for Uninsured Diabetics. With the grant, the program provided more than 200 uninsured diabetes patients with coordinated care services.
• Meyersdale Medical Center (Somerset County) received $250,000 for the development of the Healthy Education for Life Pre-Diabetes Program, which has supported 17 participants by encouraging prevention, early detection and management of chronic disease.
• Miners Medical Center (Cambria, Indiana and Clearfield counties) received $250,000 for the development of the Plan for Improving Health Status of Diabetic Populations, which provided 23 participants with access to education, medically necessary services, medical supplies and care management programs.
• PinnacleHealth System (Dauphin County) received $252,570 to improve ambulatory diabetes care among minority populations. The program provided education services to create long-term behavior change and improve the health status of patients through diabetes self-management classes.
• Uniontown Hospital (Fayette County) received $158,260 to establish a diabetes clinic. More than 1,000 new patients have received coordinated services in a region where services were not previously available.
• University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health - Center for Minority Health (Allegheny County) received $200,000 for the Healthy Black Family Project. More than 7,100 patients enrolled in the program, which provides resources for minorities and families to help reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes by offering access to health promotion and disease prevention resources.
  

For more information on the Highmark Foundation's approach to addressing diabetes and outcomes of the grants, read the complete report on the Highmark Foundation page of www.highmark.com .

About the Highmark Foundation
The Highmark Foundation, created in 2000 as an affiliate of Highmark Inc., is a charitable organization and a private foundation that supports initiatives and programs aimed at improving community health. The foundation's mission is to improve the health, well-being and quality of life for individuals who reside in the Pennsylvania communities served by Highmark Inc. The foundation awards two types of grants: Highmark Healthy High 5, which includes a focus on the health and well-being of children in the areas of physical activity, nutrition, self-esteem, bullying and grieving; and its traditional four areas of general health focus, which include chronic disease, communicable disease, family health and service delivery systems. Where possible, the foundation looks to support evidence-based programs that impact multiple counties and work collaboratively to leverage additional funding to achieve replicable models. For more information about the Highmark Foundation, visit www.highmark.com.

Improving Access to Diabetes Care and Services in Pennsylvania through Coordinated Strategies

The Impact and Economics of Diabetes

• Diabetes affects 23.6 million children and adults in the United States or 8 percent of the population. (American Diabetes Association, 2009)
• In Pennsylvania, 760,000 persons, or 6.1 percent of the population, are affected by diabetes. (Pennsylvania Department of Health, 2009)
• Nationally, approximately 17 million persons are diagnosed with diabetes, 5.7 million are undiagnosed and 57 million are pre-diabetic. (American Diabetes Association, 2009)
• One in seven Americans either has diabetes or is at high risk for developing it. (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 2004)
• Diabetes is the sixth underlying cause of death (after controlling for age) for 10,357 Pennsylvania residents, with a death rate of 23.4 percent. (Pennsylvania Health Profile, 2008)
• Of Pennsylvania's 67 counties, 19 have significantly higher rates of diabetes prevalence than that of the state's average. (The Burden of Diabetes in Pennsylvania, 2007)
• The aggregate costs of diabetes in Pennsylvania exceeds $6 billion (includes medical costs of $4.5 billion and indirect costs of $2.3 billion). (American Diabetes Association, 2009)
  

Trends in Diabetes Care

Several new trends in care have emerged as lasting methods that help diabetics to maintain good control of blood glucose levels, a key to reducing diabetic-related health complications and improving the quality of life for patients.

• Culturally specific care: Because the prevalence of diabetes is higher in minority populations, culturally competent diabetes self-management education is effective in improving health outcomes for minority populations, increasing compliance with standards of self-care and choosing appropriate management strategies to improve health outcomes.
• Supportive care and services: Many health-related issues may arise because of diabetes. So, primary care physicians are collaborating with an extensive team of specialists such as podiatrists, ophthalmologists, dentists, dietitians and endocrinologists to eliminate barriers and allow patients to receive services, including medical supplies, exercise programs, foot exams, eye exams dental care and nutrition education during one office visit.
• U.S. Diabetes conversation maps: Approved by the American Diabetes Association, the maps offer a unique approach in facilitating empowerment among individuals in group diabetes education settings. The maps create a visual and mental model for diabetes patients to learn, remember, internalize and personalize health information.
• Technology: State-of-the-art Continuous Glucose Monitoring records blood sugar levels and helps identify fluctuations and trends that would otherwise go unnoticed.