New York State Health Foundation

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Improving Diabetes Prevention and Management

Improving Diabetes Prevention and Management

Diabetes prevalence in New York State has doubled since 1994 and is expected to grow. 1.8 million New Yorkers suffer from diabetes, 4.2 million others have prediabetes, and disease-related costs for the State are estimated at $12.9 billion annually. The epidemic affects individuals’ health and also takes a toll on health care institutions, health plans, and the State’s budget. NYSHealth's $35 million Diabetes Campaign aims to reverse the epidemic by focusing on three strategies:

  • Improving the way primary care physicians manage the care of people with diabetes, including through our Meeting the Mark request for proposals.
  • Developing community-based diabetes prevention and management initiatives that can be self-sustaining over the long run and encourage people at high risk for diabetes to change their behaviors. The Foundation to date has focused on working with faith-based organizations, YMCAs, and workplaces.
  • Pushing for payment approaches and public policies that create incentives and support initiatives to improve both clinical care and prevention programs.

Measuring Our Impact

The indicators below help us to track the Foundation’s and our grantees’ progress in our work to improve the prevention and management of diabetes.

View Program Impact
Program Impact: Improving Diabetes Prevention and Management
What we are doing How we measure progress Where we started Where we have been Where we are now What this
means

Support programs to improve clinical care for New Yorkers with diabetes.

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Increase the number of New York State’s primary care physicians achieving recognition for good patient outcomes from the NCQA Diabetes Recognition Program or the BTE Diabetes Care Recognition Program from 149 to 3,000 by the end of 2013. These physicians care for 600,000 New Yorkers with diabetes.

2007: 149 physicians recognized

2010: 608 physicians recognized

October 2011: 1,000 physicians recognized

We are on target to reach our goal of 3,000 physicians achieving recognition for good diabetes care by the end of 2013. 

Mobilize communities to improve diabetes prevention, screening, and management.

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Establish diabetes prevention and self-management programs that serve congregants at 275 faith-based institutions by 2012.

2009: 0 programs

2010: 23 programs

October 2011: 73 programs

We will likely reach only 200 congregations, short of the target of 275 programs by the end of 2012. The Foundation is exploring additional community-based prevention and self-management programs, including the successful YMCA diabetes prevention program.

Conduct and fund policy analysis and advocacy to support private and public payment policies that sustain a comprehensive, coordinated care system for New Yorkers with diabetes.

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Ten of the largest public and private insurance plans in New York State will have incentive programs by 2012 for physicians who achieve positive outcomes for their patients with diabetes.

2007: N/A

2010: 4 plans

October 2011: 5 plans

We likely will not meet this target, in part because of dramatic changes in the health care landscape. In response to those changes, the Foundation will focus on advancing broader payment reform that could better support the management and good outcomes of people with chronic conditions, including but not limited to diabetes.

Contribute to improving care for New Yorkers with diabetes.

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50% of stakeholders who are familiar with NYSHealth's work on diabetes agree that the Foundation is effective at creating impact on this issue in New York State.

2011: 42% of stakeholders

N/A

2011: 42% of stakeholders

We are approaching our target on this measure, but must do more to achieve and demonstrate impact on diabetes care.

Note: Ultimately, we pursue our chosen programmatic strategies in this area because we want to reduce the human and financial toll of diabetes. Although the Foundation’s efforts alone will not necessarily achieve these broader social change outcomes throughout the entire State, we and our partners can make a difference. In addition to tracking our program indicators, we monitor social impact measures that help us to understand and track the context of our work in diabetes and keep the bigger picture in mind when we consider new grant proposals. As we consider the social context for our work, we look at rates of emergency department visits; hospital admissions; and controlled blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol among New Yorkers with diabetes.