Taking Diabetes Management on the Road

Location: Raleigh

Area of Impact: Central and Eastern North Carolina

Project Description: Deliver free, certified diabetes education to underserved areas

The Diabetes Bus delivers free, certified diabetes education to rural, high need communities where patients would otherwise have difficulty getting services. The program’s outreach initiative, entitled the “Reaching Communities Project,” is expanding as a result of a five-year partnership with the BCBSNC Foundation. The grant follows a two-year, Triangle-based pilot project that was also funded by the Foundation.

The Diabetes Bus partners with local physicians and private practices to fill gaps where free programs no longer exist. The program’s greatest asset is its flexibility and ability to respond to the changing needs of rural and high-need communities. In the most recent year, ending June 2009, the group served more than 1,000 North Carolinians from 82 hometowns.

Results: Reducing HbA1c levels among participants

The program is able to demonstrate an average reduction of 1.6 percentage points in Hemoglobin A1c levels among participants who participate in the three part self-management class. This translates into a 25-40 percent reduction in diabetes-related health complications and a savings of about $1,000 in medical expenses for each patient.

One class participant commented on the first day of class “I feel like a failure with my diabetes – no matter what I do, it stays high and I feel so tired and my eyes are so bad, I can hardly work.” After attending classes and learning more about new management techniques he was able to resume his normal routine, working full time and enjoying his garden again.

Diabetes Management Solutions plans to continue expanding programming to reach more communities and help more North Carolinians manage their diabetes so that they can lead healthier lives. More information can be found at www.thediabetesbus.org.

Diabetes Management Solutions has most recently been supported through a 5-year, $660,000 Health of Vulnerable Populations grant and a three-year $38,800 Community Impact for Nonprofit Excellence grant to ensure their organizational sustainability.