Jericho Road Ministries, Inc.

Buffalo’s East Side is predominantly African American and poor. While diabetes self-management education is considered an integral component of effective care, skilled educators are not readily available in poor, minority communities. With support from NYHealth, Jericho Road Ministries, Inc. formed the “Diabetes Center of Community Excellence” to provide culturally appropriate support and motivation for diabetes self-management in minority communities. This project was funded under NYHealth’s 2007 Setting the Standard: Advancing Best Practices in Diabetes Management request for proposals.

Buffalo’s East Side is predominantly African American (87%) and poor (37%) with diabetes prevalence three times the national rate. Jericho Road Ministries is a faith-based nonprofit that seeks to create the Diabetic Center of Community Excellence to provide culturally appropriate support for diabetes self-management by using certified diabetes educator-trainees and establishing a diabetes health ministry outreach resource center.

Jericho Road Ministries formed the “Diabetic Center of Community Excellence” to provide culturally appropriate support for diabetes self-management in minority communities. The project was structured around two goals:

1. embedding minority “certified diabetes educator” trainees into community practice, and
2. establishing a Diabetes Health Ministry Outreach Resource Center.

The trainees provided educational, one-on-one patient counseling sessions, and—along with diabetes interns from the University of Buffalo—staffed the Diabetes Health Ministry Outreach Resource Center. They trained lay health educators to organize church-based self-help groups and conduct diabetes education sessions.  In addition to these activities, Jericho Road Ministries worked with senior and assistant pastors to develop self-sustaining health ministries at their churches.