Improving Diabetes Prevention and Management

Project Title

Scaling Up the NDPP Among the New York City Workforce

Grant Amount

$350,000

Priority Area

Improving Diabetes Prevention and Management

Date Awarded

July 14, 2015

Region

NYC

Status

Closed

Website

http://fphny.org/

In 2014, the City of New York reached an agreement with its municipal unions to generate health care savings of $3.4 billion over the 2015–2018 fiscal years.

New York City provides health insurance to its current employees, retirees, and their dependents—an estimated 1.3 million people. To help save more than $3 billion in health care costs within three years, the City recognizes the importance of a healthy workforce, as well as the benefits of workplace wellness initiatives. As of January 2015, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recognizes online versions of the National Diabetes Prevention Program (NDPP), an evidence-based lifestyle program to prevent Type 2 diabetes. This recognition marks a significant step in scaling up the program, as it may reach participants who would not have joined in-person wellness programs. In 2015, NYHealth awarded a grant to The Fund for Public Health in New York, as fiscal sponsor to the Mayor’s Office of Labor Relations, to launch an online NDPP pilot for City employees.

Under this grant, the Mayor’s Office of Labor Relations worked in partnership with Fund for Public Health in New York to pilot an online NDPP version for 1,000 City employees. Classes used the same content as the in-person NDPP, spanning 16-weeks and accompanied by a six-month follow-up session. During the first year of NDPP expansion, a project coordinator launched and referred participants at two City agencies; three additional agencies followed the second year. To examine the effectiveness of the program, evaluations were completed to determine best practices in program participation and completion, as well as health outcomes and cost savings generated from the program. Overall, this pilot program worked to demonstrate the feasibility of offering the NDPP to City employees on a larger scale.