(Silver Spring, Md.) – Holy Cross Health's Diabetes Prevention Program has earned full recognition from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for meeting or exceeding quality benchmarks for delivery of a quality, evidence-based programs to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes and improve overall health and well-being of participants.
The Diabetes Prevention Program is one of many ways that Holy Cross Health commits to improving the health and well-being of the community. Holy Cross Health offers more than 70 low-cost or free exercise, health education, screening, self-management and health ministry programs each week at convenient community locations, which help people to achieve their best possible health and life.
The CDC full recognition designation for the diabetes prevention program is reserved for diabetes lifestyle change programs that meet all CDC standards, including:
- use of a CDC-approved curriculum;
- effective recruitment and retention of participants;
- an average weight loss of 5 percent of starting body weight across all participants in the year-long intervention;
- trained lifestyle coaches to help build participants’ skills and confidence to make lasting lifestyle changes;
- a designated diabetes prevention program coordinator; and
- capacity and commitment to deliver the program over the course of at least one year.
The DPP meets these requirements and offers nutrition guidance, exercise sessions and ongoing support to participants. Throughout the 12-month program, participants learn how to develop healthful eating habits for weight loss and ways to safely increase their physical activity. Food tracking, physical activity tracking and guidance from trained health coaches help to keep the participants motivated and knowledgeable about how to prevent type 2 diabetes.
"Holy Cross Health has offered the DPP for nearly 10 years with 84 registrants in 2018 alone. We have an excellent team of health coaches and the full recognition designation is a significant milestone for our program," said Sarah McKechnie, manager, disease management services, Community Health, Holy Cross Health Network. "We are dedicated to empowering our community members to take charge of their health through a wide variety of health and wellness classes and programs, including the DPP."
According to the CDC, more than 84 million U.S. adults—that’s 1 in 3—have prediabetes, meaning that their blood sugar is higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed with diabetes. People with prediabetes are at high risk for type 2 diabetes (the most common type of diabetes), heart disease, and stroke. Today, more than 30 million Americans already have diabetes, which puts them at risk for a long list of serious health problems.
"It is immensely gratifying to see the science of diabetes prevention being implemented to improve the public’s health," said Ann Albright, PhD, RDN, director, Division of Diabetes Translation, CDC, in a congratulatory letter to Holy Cross Health. "The sustained success of Holy Cross Health's lifestyle change program makes an invaluable contribution to the prevention of type 2 diabetes, both in the community and nationally."
To learn more about the Holy Cross Health Diabetes Prevention Program visit HolyCrossHealth.org/DiabetesPrevention.