NYSHealth Awards $375,000 Grant to YMCA to Implement Diabetes Prevention Program in 10 Regions Across New York

August 30, 2010 (New York, NY) – The New York State Health Foundation (NYSHealth) announced today it has awarded the New York State YMCA Foundation a $375,000 grant to implement community-based diabetes prevention programs in 10 regions across the State, an initiative to prevent the onset of Type 2 diabetes among thousands of New Yorkers. The initiative is a partnership among the New York State YMCA Foundation, the New York State Department of Health’s Diabetes Prevention and Control Program, and NYSHealth and will play a significant role in NYSHealth’s statewide Diabetes Campaign, which aims to reverse the growing epidemic.

The initiative will create and sustain a statewide infrastructure to prevent pre-diabetes, which occurs when an individual’s blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. People with pre-diabetes are five to 15 times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than someone without the condition. It increases their risk of developing heart disease, stroke, and eye disease. The program will be available to residents in the following areas: Capital District, Binghamton, Buffalo, Long Island, Middletown, Plattsburgh, New York City, Rochester, Syracuse and Watertown.

“With up to 4.2 million New Yorkers with pre-diabetes and more than 1.8 million residents already suffering from diabetes, we as a State cannot afford to let this epidemic continue to spread,” said James R. Knickman, President and CEO of NYSHealth. “This model has shown that through lifestyle change, individuals can significantly lower their risk of developing diabetes. By supporting its expansion across New York, we aim to play a critical role in stemming the rising tide of diabetes.”

The initiative is based on the highly successful Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), a federally funded major multi-center clinical research study. The DPP demonstrated that modest weight loss and regular physical activity in adults with pre-diabetes reduces the risk of developing diabetes by 58%. In adults over the age of 60, the risk was reduced by 71%. The program is also cost-effective; after one year in the program, health care costs for a 50-year-old person with pre-diabetes would be reduced by $268. Researchers from the Indiana University School of Medicine, Diabetes Translational Research Center developed a lower cost group-based version of the program that was just as effective; it is this version that the YMCAs will implement across the State.

“This program has shown that teaching high-risk individuals how to make and sustain simple changes can have a significant impact on their risk of developing diabetes,” said Maureen Spence, Director of the New York State Department of Health’s Diabetes Prevention and Control Program. “We are working with the YMCAs and NYSHealth to build the necessary infrastructure and clinical-community connections in the State to prevent up to 4.2 million New Yorkers with pre-diabetes from developing diabetes.”

In each region, local YMCAs will offer 16-week programs to individuals that have been diagnosed with pre-diabetes. The program includes lessons in healthy eating, physical activity, and behavior change in a supportive group environment to help individuals make long-lasting changes to their lifestyles. After completion of the program, participants will be encouraged to take part in monthly maintenance sessions for up to a year.

“Because of our distribution throughout the State and our commitment to serving diverse communities, YMCAs are perfect places to deliver this diabetes prevention program,” said Kyle Stewart, Executive Director of the New York State YMCA Foundation. “This program will give New York the upper hand in the fight against diabetes and will play a key role in preventing more residents from developing this life-threatening disease.”

With support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this program is being rolled out in other states, but the initiative in New York has added a new feature: working with clinicians and health care providers to create referral systems in primary care practices, community health centers, and hospitals in each region. The New York Chapter of the American College of Physicians, the New York State Academy of Family Physicians, the Community Health Care Association of New York State, and the Healthcare Association of New York State (HANYS) are among the long list of partners collaborating on this initiative to increase the diagnosis of pre-diabetes and establish the necessary connections to ensure providers and patients know about this invaluable resource.

“We are thrilled to be part of an effort that increases the awareness, diagnosis, and treatment of pre-diabetes. One of our goals is to facilitate working relationships between the initiative and our providers to help patients get the care necessary to reduce their diabetes risk,” said Nancy Landor, Senior Director of Strategic Quality Initiatives at HANYS.

NYSHealth funding for the program comes as diabetes reaches epidemic levels across both the state and the nation.

“The number of New Yorkers with diabetes has more than doubled in the last decade, and according to national statistics, an estimated one in three children born in 2000 will develop diabetes in their lifetime, said Jacqueline Martinez, Senior Program Director at NYSHealth. This risk is even greater for racial and ethnic minorities, with one in two Hispanic females and two in five African Americans and Hispanics have a lifetime risk for developing diabetes. The human and financial cost of this disease is terrifying, but the models and tools to reverse the trend exist.”

NYSHealth is committed to spreading these best practices. Through its five-year, $35 million New York State Diabetes Campaign, NYSHealth is committed to reversing the diabetes epidemic currently plaguing the State and to significantly improving the health of New Yorkers with diabetes.

The YMCAs that will implement the program are the Broome County YMCA, YMCA of Buffalo Niagara, Capital District YMCA in Albany, YMCA of Greater Rochester, YMCA of Greater Syracuse, YMCA of Greater New York, YMCA of Long Island in Huntington, Plattsburgh YMCA, YMCA of Middletown, and the Watertown Family YMCA. (Get contact information.)

About NYSHealth
The New York State Health Foundation is a private Foundation dedicated to improving the health of all New Yorkers. NYSHealth has a three-part mission: expanding health insurance coverage, increasing access to high-quality health care services, and improving public and community health by educating New Yorkers about health issues and empowering communities to address them. It was established with charitable funds from the privatization of Empire Blue Cross/Blue Shield.

NYSHealth launched the $35 million, five-year New York State Diabetes Campaign to reverse the diabetes epidemic in New York. The statewide Campaign is working to improve clinical care among primary care providers; mobilize communities to help people manage and prevent diabetes in places where people live, work, and worship; and promote policies that will sustain high-quality diabetes care.

About YMCA New York
The New York State YMCA Foundation supports YMCAs across the Empire State by assisting them in the growth of their mission-based services and programs for all New Yorkers. In accord with the YMCA’s principles, the New York State YMCA Foundation actively serves communities by adding value to the work of local YMCAs in supporting key statewide and local program initiatives for youth development; healthy living and social responsibility. The YMCA has been actively committed to healthy living and wellness programs for over 150 years and is a perfect partner to deliver diabetes prevention initiatives.