Philadelphia Medicine Summer 2020 - 30

p h i l a m e d s o c .org

feature continued

Philadelphia makes diabetes
prevention a priority
continued from page 29

the yearlong program, have moved to virtual sessions via Zoom or program. Included are 10 articles from journal archives that demonteleconferencing. The engagement of learners has been exceptional, strate positive outcomes from identifying adults with prediabetes
but many community members lack a computer, adequate internet and referring them to the National DPP lifestyle change program.
access or sufficient cell minutes to support their full participation. Access the virtual issue online at: https://bit.ly/PDPCVirtualCollection
Although this has been an extremely challenging spring, the For information on how / where to refer patients:
members of PDPC remain committed to improving the health
of our community. Through all of the adversity, their level of en- Register for an informational webinar on Wednesday, September
thusiasm and dedication has not wavered. This crisis has provided 9, 2020 from 8-9 am.
us with a tremendous opportunity to transform prevention and https://jefferson.zoom.us/meeting/register/
health promotion in our city.
tJUpceytrT0tGNZPs9ohI6NLUdWFPUa1EChx
As we begin to emerge from the red zone, to yellow and finally
green, PDPC is working to ensure that programs are available and
ready for our community members. In July, Health Promotion
Council will be launching a website with information for healthcare
providers and for patients regarding where to find a convenient
CDC-recognized DPP. We need the support and help of local
physicians and other clinical care professionals to encourage their
patients with underlying chronic conditions (including prediabetes)
to participate in a lifestyle change program to help protect them
from a more complicated course of illness should they contract
COVID-19.5 The realities we must face are clear.6 There is a high
likelihood of a second surge later this year, and we must be prepared
to avoid an even higher human toll.
The silver lining to this pandemic is that it has given us new
perspective regarding what's important, what we need versus what
we might want, and how much we can get done when we work
together to find a solution. I am confident that we will emerge on
the other side with new and better solutions to what have seemed
like intractable problems. We have built an amazing infrastructure
with a solid foundation and great relationships that will sustain us
into the future. *
Additional Resources
For more information, or to join the Philadelphia Diabetes
Prevention Collaborative:
Contact Alexis.Skoufalos@Jefferson.edu or Mitchell.Kaminski@
Jefferson.edu
Population Health Management has curated a special virtual issue
focusing on prediabetes and the National DPP lifestyle change

30 Philadelphia Medicine : Summer 2020

References
National Diabetes Prevention Program. Research behind the National DPP.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. April 4, 2019. https://www.cdc.
gov/diabetes/prevention/research-behind-ndpp.htm Accessed May 29, 2020.
1.

McPhillips D. How racially and ethnically diverse is your city? US News &
World Report. Jan 22, 2020. www.usnews.com/news/cities/articles/2020-01-22/
measuring-racial-and-ethnic-diversity-in-americas-cities. Accessed May 19, 2020.
2.

County Health Rankings & Roadmaps. Philadelphia county outcomes 2019
snapshot. 2020 County Health Rankings. https://www.countyhealthrankings.
org/app/pennsylvania/2019/rankings/philadelphia/county/outcomes/overall/
snapshot. Accessed May 29, 2020.
3.

4.
City of Philadelphia Department of Public Health. Coronavirus Disease
2019 (COVID-19) Testing and Data. May 27, 2020.

https://www.phila.gov/programs/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/testing-and-data/#demographic-data-of-cases Accessed May 29, 2020
CDC COVID-19 Response Team. Preliminary estimates of the prevalence of
selected underlying health conditions among patients with coronavirus disease
2019 - United States, February 12-March 28, 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal
Wkly Rep. 2020;69:382-386.
5.

Berwick DM. Choices for the "new normal." JAMA. Epub ahead of print
May 4, 2020. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.6949. Accessed May 20, 2020.
6.

https://philamedsoc.org/ https://www.bit.ly/PDPCVirtualCollection https://jefferson.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUpceytrT0tGNZPs9ohI6NLUdWFPUa1EChx https://www.cdc. gov/diabetes/prevention/research-behind-ndpp.htm http://www.usnews.com/news/cities/articles/2020-01-22/ measuring-racial-and-ethnic-diversity-in-americas-cities https://www.countyhealthrankings. org/app/pennsylvania/2019/rankings/philadelphia/county/outcomes/overall/ snapshot https://www.phila.gov/programs/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/testing- and-data/#demographic-data-of-cases

Philadelphia Medicine Summer 2020

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