PRESS RELEASE: Mississippi Aims to Lead Diabetes Prevention
Mississippi Aims to Lead Diabetes Prevention Focus on Mississippi to Prevent Diabetes
HATTIESBURG, Miss., December 6, 2019 — Mississippi is poised to become the first state that achieves a stakeholder engagement model dedicated to the delivery of diabetes prevention programs statewide in 2020. Mississippi ranks second highest in the nation for the prevalence of type 2 diabetes and obesity. It is the only state in the nation with every county in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) “Diabetes Belt.”
The CDC launched the National Diabetes Prevention Program, or National DPP, lifestyle change program in 2010. In April of 2018, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services launched the Medicare MDPP lifestyle change program. Both lifestyle change programs are intended to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes.
As explained by Madison Moore, director of the Diabetes Coalition of Mississippi, “the state needs community access for prediabetes populations to participate in the National DPP and Medicare MDPP lifestyle change programs. Healthcare payers are willing to support these programs financially through reimbursement if available to their eligibles, beneficiaries and employees.”
Thanks to the Diabetes Coalition of Mississippi, a comprehensive effort to rally diabetes prevention stakeholders is underway to confront the state’s diabetes epidemic. The MSDPP Stakeholders Engagement Model is a landmark approach. This model will demonstrate how an umbrella organization of aligned diabetes prevention stakeholders in a state can share the use of an engagement platform to launch and manage a delivery ecosystem for the National DPP and Medicare MDPP lifestyle change programs.
The public-facing MSDPP initiative, Focus on Mississippi to Prevent Diabetes, is the communications strategy helping to align diabetes prevention stakeholder interests and catalyze stakeholder actions for a scalable and sustainable delivery ecosystem. A statewide plan for community sites that deliver the National DPP and Medicare MDPP in 2020 will be available on the MSDPP.org website.
Walmart will be a primary stakeholder in the delivery of the National DPP and Medicare MDPP programs by providing access to in-person group sessions for Mississippi residents who qualify as having prediabetes. According to Gavin Kivisto, senior manager at Walmart, “We want to help people save money and live better, healthier lives. We are proud to offer Mississippians the National DPP and Medicare MDPP lifestyle change programs at select Walmart stores, conducted by trained associates using the lifestyle modification platform for diabetes prevention from CDC-recognized HabitNu.”
Other stakeholders delivering the National DPP and Medicare MDPP lifestyle change programs in Mississippi will include Hattiesburg Clinic, YMCA Flowood, Magnolia Medical Foundation, and several community-based organizations. Prediabetes screening and locations to participate in diabetes prevention programs will soon be available on the MSDPP.org website.
The DCM is an organization dedicated to leading Mississippi toward a diabetes- free tomorrow. It serves as a statewide unified voice to reduce the impact of diabetes through improved policy, prevention and management of diabetes for all Mississippians.
For more information, contact:
Patrick Knowles, Engagement Coordinator
Email: patrick@habitnu.com
Direct Phone: (312) 566-7871
Diabetes Coalition of Mississippi • P.O. Box 15011 • Hattiesburg, MS • 39404-5011
