Building Community Partnerships Through Public Awareness Campaigns

1
Building Community Partnerships Through Public
Awareness Campaigns

• Lisa Hodgson, RD, CDN, CDE
• Program Coordinator
• The Seven County Diabetes Network
• Glens Falls, New York

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The State of Diabetes in New York

• Over 1 million people, or 7.7 of the
  population of New York, have been diagnosed with
  diabetes.
• Approximately 1/3 more, or 450,000 people,
  have diabetes but dont know it. This figure
  represents nearly a 100 increase since 1994.
• In the Seven County region, 6.9 of
• the population have diabetes, about
• 28,000 people.

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Picture of NYS and Region 6
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The Seven County Diabetes Network

• 1 of 15 diabetes coalitions funded by NY State
  Dept. of Health Diabetes Prevention and Control
  Program
• Covers large rural area north of Albany to
  Canadian border
• Medically underserved for both primary and
  specialty care
• 1 endocrinologist serves entire area

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The Seven County Diabetes Network

• 4 American Diabetes Association-accredited
  programs in entire area, approx. 16 Certified
  Diabetes Educators serve region (8 are in large
  community hospital in Glens Falls, southern
  location in geographic region)
• 22 partners representing hospitals, public health
  agencies, Cornell Cooperative Extension, County
  Offices on Aging, local health networks and
  community members. One part-time Program
  Coordinator manages program.

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The Strengths of Community Partnerships

• Encarta Dictionary defines a partnership as
• an organization formed by 2 or more groups
  who work
• together for some common purpose.
• Partnerships
• successfully bring people together,
• expand resources, and
• focus on a problem of community concern
  better than
• any single group could do alone.
• Frances Dunn Butterfoss, Coalitions and
  Partnerships in Community Health, c. 2007,
  John Wiley Sons, Inc.
  

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Primary Prevention Public Awareness Campaign

• Objective
• To increase public awareness of Type 2 diabetes
  risk factors, signs and symptoms through
  distribution of the ADA Risk Test in a variety of
  ways.
• Method
• To develop promotional items to increase public
  awareness about diabetes risks and
  signs/symptoms. The ADA Risk Test was reproduced
  and distributed to communities throughout the
  Coalitions service area.

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Diabetes Risk Test Distribution

• Bookmarks distributed to local libraries
• Placemats distributed to locally-owned
  restaurants with self-mailer postcards
• Program brochures, including Risk Test, were
  distributed at community events throughout year
• Milk carton panels featuring diabetes
  signs/symptoms ran in March to coincide with
  National Diabetes Awareness Day

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New Community Partnerships

• Local libraries
• Locally-owned mom pop restaurants
• County public health department initiative
• Local dairy/convenience stores

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Results

• 6,100 ADA Risk Assessments distributed
• 15 new partnerships formed with local
  businesses
• Fun projects for partners to collaborate on

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Results

• In Clinton County Alone - 1300 Risk Assessments
  distributed at community events
• 1) 12 of respondents had diabetes
• 2) 50 were at risk of developing
  diabetes. (mostly due to high BMI)
• Milk cartons featuring signs/symptoms of Type 2
  DM and 1-800 number
• 80,000 distributed (no charge to coalition!)

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Lessons Learned

• Build partnerships to maximize the use of local
  resources and existing programs to spread health
  messages.
• Partnerships work best when they create a
  win-win situation for all involved.
• Success factors for coalitions
• strong, objective leadership
• networking and educational opportunities
• partner input is valued and incorporated
  into
• Network goals and activities
• financial support.
• 
  

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Thank you!

• Lisa Hodgson, RD, CDN, CDE
• lhodgson_at_glensfallshosp.org
• [phone]