In October of 2017 NCHPAD began a 5-year partnership with the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) and several other organizations to implement an adapted evidence-based diabetes prevention program.  NACDD was one of 10 grantees of the Division of Diabetes Translation within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC.)  This competitive award is officially designated CDC-RFA-DP17-1705, or “Scaling the National Diabetes Prevention Program in Underserved Areas.”  The purpose of the National Diabetes Prevention Program, or NDPP, is to support the implementation year-long evidence-based programs throughout the country that are designed to prevent or delay diabetes in adults who are at high risk.  The objective of this grant is to implement and sustain the NDPP in rural counties where it didn’t previously exist and to reach underserved segments of the population.  The project will target adults with prediabetes from the general public, Medicare recipients--and unique amongst all other grantees—people with disabilities. 

 Central to this effort is the implementation of an adapted diabetes prevention curriculum developed by NCHPAD called Prevent T2 for All.  This inclusive, CDC-approved program is a direct adaptation of the original NDPP curriculum Prevent T2 and helps people with and without disabilities understand how to increase their level of physical activity, make healthy food choices and manage other health issues that prevent the development of diabetes. Ultimately, the course provides strategies to move participants towards moderate weight loss within the first six months of the program.  It offers program facilitators, called Lifestyle Coaches, tips and strategies for recruiting and retaining participants with disabilities and addresses barriers related to policy, equipment and technology, the built environment and instruction. 

NACDD and NCHPAD are partnering with 4 State-level organizations and 1 online NDPP provider to implement Prevent T2 for All and/or address barriers to full inclusion.  These partner organizations are
•    The Florida Department of Health
•    The New York Association of Independent Living (NYAIL)
•    The Pennsylvania Health Promotion Council
•    The Alaska Department of Health in partnership with Wellpass
•    Hope 80/20 (online provider)
NCHPAD has worked with partners in Florida, New York and Pennsylvania to implement the Prevent T2 for All Curriculum in-person and it is assisting Hope 80/20 to make adaptations to it’s online platform to make it more inclusive.  Due to the remote location of many participants in Alaska, NCHPAD and NACDD are working with a provider of a telephonic diabetes prevention program called Wellpass.
In addition to increasing the availability of and participation in diabetes prevention programs in underserved counties, this collaboration targets health care providers to increase screening and referral and will increase the number of NDPP providers that receive full recognition from the CDC and accept Medicare reimbursement.