Institute for Leadership, Inc.

Diabetes prevalence in New York State has doubled since 1994 and is expected to grow; 1.8 million New Yorkers suffer from diabetes and 4.2 million have prediabetes.

To address this crisis, the New York Health Foundation (NYHealth) invested in a $35 million Diabetes Campaign with the goal of reversing the epidemic. The Campaign focuses on improving clinical care and patient outcomes; mobilizing communities to prevent diabetes and support diabetes self-management; and promoting policies that sustain comprehensive and effective care for people with diabetes. NYHealth funded the Institute for Leadership (IFL) to further the Campaign’s goal of mobilizing communities to spread programs that help prevent, identify, and manage diabetes in places where people live, work, and worship.

Targeting the regions hardest hit by diabetes in New York State (the Finger Lakes, Hudson Valley, Long Island, New York City, and Niagara County), IFL expanded its efforts to achieve the following goals:

• identifyed at least 7,500 people at risk for diabetes using the American Diabetes Association Risk Assessment Survey; and
• established at least 125 diabetes management programs in congregations throughout New York State.

To achieve these goals, IFL recruited additional congregations from its membership to participate in the initiative; training volunteers to implement diabetes self-management programs; and developing linkages between faith-based organizations and local health centers, outpatient departments, and medical practices.