Seven Leading Health Organizations Announce New Collaboration

Seven leading health associations announced a new collaboration today to support diabetes care in the primary care and family practice setting. The American Diabetes Association® (ADA), along with American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP)American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA)American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP)American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians (ACOFP)American Pharmacists Association (APhA), and American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), have come together to address the needs of primary care professionals (PCPs) who are on the front lines of diabetes care.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 37 million people have diabetes in the U.S. (11.3% of the population); 8.5 million of them are undiagnosed. An additional 96 million Americans have prediabetes, meaning they have risk factors such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, and obesity. This clinical burden falls squarely in the primary care and family medicine specialty, as approximately 90% of people with diabetes are treated by PCPs.

“The new Primary Care Council will provide a powerful voice for all primary care clinicians on the front lines of diabetes care,” said Robert A. Gabbay, MD, PhD, chief scientific and medical officer of the American Diabetes Association. “This historic collaboration allows us to coordinate efforts and combine resources with the ultimate goal of bending the curve on diabetes and its complications.”

The Primary Care Council collaboration will focus on improving health outcomes by improving adoption of research-based standards of care, driving better health outcomes, and advancing care for people with diabetes. Joint projects will target enhancing patient engagement and supporting team-based diabetes care.

About the American Diabetes Association
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is the nation’s leading voluntary health organization fighting to bend the curve on the diabetes epidemic and help people living with diabetes thrive. For 82 years, the ADA has driven discovery and research to treat, manage, and prevent diabetes while working relentlessly for a cure. Through advocacy, program development, and education we aim to improve the quality of life for the over 133 million Americans living with diabetes or prediabetes. Diabetes has brought us together. What we do next will make us Connected for Life. To learn more or to get involved, visit us at diabetes.org or call 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383). Join the fight with us on Facebook (American Diabetes Association), Spanish Facebook (Asociación Americana de la Diabetes), LinkedIn (American Diabetes Association), Twitter (@AmDiabetesAssn), and Instagram (@AmDiabetesAssn).