SPOTLIGHT ON AADE's DPP TEAM:

UMA Diabetes/Endocrine Center- Athens, Ohio

The National Diabetes Prevention Program has certainly been in the limelight in the city of Athens, Ohio. This program has caught on like wildfire by employers of the city. With notice of success at UMA Diabetes/Endocrine Center, employers are taking initiative to ensure they offer preventative care that can keep their employees healthy and working. Area employers recognize that the National DPP can be linked to greater productivity, less absenteeism, and eventually reduced long-term health care costs for the company.  Considering the savings, seven employer groups have already signed on to offer DPP to its employees.

UMA Diabetes/Endocrine Center began recruiting participants through employers from the beginning of implementation. Dr. Jay Shubrook, Medical Director, collected program statistics regarding weight loss achievement, retention rates, and increases in physical activity percentage with the intention to make a gripping business case when presenting to employers. He developed a PowerPoint presentation about their program for use in negotiating coverage of employees. This proved to be successful, as UMA Diabetes/Endocrine Center has several employers who have agreed to cover 2 to 20 individuals per year for the program.

In the upcoming months they plan to approach a number of employers in the area and obtain Memorandum of Agreements (MOA), allowing them to recruit participants from these employers. Ultimately, they are looking to be working with a group of about one dozen employers.

UMA is continuing their outreach by distributing fliers to all physician offices in the area, with the request that they be provided to physicians and left in lobby areas for patients. They have also posted fliers in community centers and libraries in the area, promoted the program at health fairs, and advertised in local papers.

However, the continued demand for the program comes from the success of the actual training. UMA approaches their cohorts by splitting participants into teams where they discuss topics and share info with each other. At various sessions and for specific activities in the curriculum, teams compete against one another for points. Points are earned in a variety of ways, such as session attendance on the scheduled day, turning in completed trackers, getting 150 minutes per week of activity, walking a 5K, joining an exercise class, or even checking out an exercise DVD. The team with the most points at the end is rewarded with a small prize. It's the fun of being on a team and being competitive that keeps participants engaged.

At UMA, many sessions include 30 minutes of some kind of activity at the end of the presentation: examples include chair Zumba, working with UMA provided exercise bands, Pilates, weight training, stretching and walking groups. These activities are enjoyable and allow participants to form bonds with each other. UMA also provides incentive prizes for coming to 80% of core sessions and turning in completed trackers 80% of the time.

Participant success has come in a variety of forms; completing their first 5K ever, succeeding with weight loss for the first time, decreased lipids/blood pressure leading to a reduction in medication, or simply having more energy. One participant shared the following touching success- she is now a grandmother able to sled in snow with her grandchildren! Not having been able to do this before because she was unable to get up if she was on the ground, she is now able to reconnect with her grandchildren and be more involved in their lives.

Much of these successes are attributable to Karen R. Bailey. As a Certified Diabetes Educator and Registered Dietician with a Masters degree in nutrition, she has worked as a clinical dietitian for a psychiatric hospital, hospitals, the dialysis industry, nursing homes, instructors and now for the UMA Diabetes/Endocrine Center. She is part of an educator team that provides diabetes self-management training and does medical nutrition therapy for individuals. Karen provided prediabetes classes in the past but sought to expand that program and recognized that the National DPP would be a perfect fit for the UMA Diabetes/Endocrine Center .

The organization will begin their 5^th cohort this September with continued efforts to prevent/delay the onset of type 2 diabetes among people with prediabetes in Ohio and with enthusiasm towards the National Diabetes Prevention Program.

National Diabetes Prevention Program is designed to bring to communities evidence-based lifestyle change programs for preventing type 2 diabetes.

American Association of Diabetes Educators
200 W. Madison Street, Suite 800 | Chicago, Illinois 60606
Phone: 800/338.3633 | Fax: 312/424.2427
www.diabeteseducator.org
© 2013 American Association of Diabetes Educators 

This newsletter was supported by the Cooperative Agreement number 1U58DP004519-01 from The Centers for Diabetes Control and Prevention. Its contents are solely the responsibility of AADE and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

For more information or questions regarding the Diabetes Prevention Program,  please contact AADE at 

dpp@aadenet.org.