More than 1.8 million New Yorkers have diabetes.
Campaign Corner: NYSDiabetes Campaign Announces Launch of "Half the Care" Campaign
November 19, 2009
Dear Colleagues:
I am proud to announce the launch of our “Half the Care” social marketing campaign. “Half the Care” is an initiative to engage providers in helping their patients break through the barrier we have faced for so long: getting people all the care they need for their diabetes and all the secondary prevention they need to live long and healthy lives. The timing for this could not be more appropriate. With health reform discussions pointing the finger at our health care system for its extraordinary expense and its inability to prevent the preventable, we want to help providers all over New York State become a part of the solution.
There is a convergence of thought emerging from many sides – a perfect storm of opportunity to make real change in our practices, our outcomes, and the health of our patients. The Chronic Care Model has promoted an emphasis on prevention and organized, team-based care. And, the emergence of health information technology emphasizes the importance of monitoring the care we give, using a team approach to care and using outcome data to support quality improvement.
With this convergence of thinking comes great opportunity to learn from one another’s best practices and to support each other in practice improvement around diabetes. Information systems are an important part of this, but so are team practice, practice redesign, and the development of a network of community resources that providers may develop to assist them. Assisting practices in transitioning to improve care around diabetes is possible and is one focus of our campaign. As we work with our community- and faith-based leaders in identifying people with diabetes - both those who don’t know they are affected yet and those who have the disease but are not getting all the care they need or achieving the results they need. We need to make sure that the providers around the state have the knowledge, resources, and assistance they need to get their patients to these goals.
I am excited about the work we are embarking on to change the face of diabetes in New York State and to see that we get as close as possible to getting all people all the care they need, when they need it. We welcome your input of ideas and energy in helping to make this happen.
Sincerely,
Neil Calman MD
Type:
Campaign Corner 
