Connecting Care: EMI Joins CDC's MATCH Initiative to Improve Diabetes Prevention and Management
Diabetes, the eighth leading cause of death in the United States (US), is characterized by elevated blood sugar levels disrupting the body's ability to produce or effectively use insulin. (1) This growing chronic condition extends beyond individual health, posing threats to diverse populations across socioeconomic landscapes.
Now, with over 130 million adults grappling with the challenges of diabetes or prediabetes in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recognizes the need to address this public health crisis. This urgency is underscored by the significant financial burden of soaring medical costs and substantial loss in wages annually. (2)
Accordingly, the CDC developed a comprehensive 5-year cooperative agreement aimed at tackling the diabetes epidemic and advancing health equity titled, A Strategic Approach to Advancing Health Equity for Priority Populations with or at Risk for Diabetes.
This initiative targets priority populations who have historically faced greater obstacles to health due to various factors such as race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, and geographic location. With a focus on reducing disparities and achieving health equity, the CDC awarded over $80 million to over 70 recipients, encompassing three key components:
Component A funds one organization per state and Washington, DC, to implement statewide evidence-based strategies, reducing disparities at the state level.
Component B funds 22 organizations to work in high-need counties, partnering with community-based organizations to address social determinants of health (SDOH) and tailor interventions to local needs.
Component C supports four multisectoral partnership networks to scale and sustain the National Diabetes Prevention Program (National DPP), fostering collaboration across sectors to better engage priority populations.
The Emory Centers for Public Health Training and Technical Assistance and the Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists (ADCES) support the CDC recipients through the Mobilizing Access Through Capacity Building and Health Equity (MATCH) Initiative. The Initiative offers customized training and technical assistance to ensure the effective implementation of diabetes prevention and management strategies in and across communities.
EMI Advisors (EMI) is grateful to partner with Emory Centers and ADCES in administering technical assistance to the CDC recipients. Specifically, our team provides data interoperability expertise and supports CDC recipients in designing and implementing multi-directional e-referral (MDeR) systems. The MDeR systems enable a two-way electronic exchange of information between healthcare providers and community-based organizations (CBOs) to enhance health-related outcomes and connect individuals to lifestyle change programs to reduce diabetes-related complications.
EMI is coordinating this CDC project across other health equity and social determinants of health (SDOH) initiatives funded by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in alignment with the HHS Call to Action: Addressing Health-Related Social Needs in Communities Across the Nation and HHS Data Strategy, to include the Administration for Community Living Social Care Challenge Program and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology’s Social Determinants of Health Information Exchange Toolkit.
To learn how EMI Advisors can support your social care integration strategy, contact hello@emiadvisors.net.
References
American Diabetes Association. Economic Costs of Diabetes in the U.S. in 2017. Diabetes Care. 2018
May;41(5):917-928. doi: 10.2337/dci18-0007. Epub 2018 Mar 22. PMID: 29567642; PMCID: PMC5911784.