What We Want to Achieve Through Systems Changes

Community Partnerships

Community partnerships provide common and trusted access points for reaching people with diabetes, their families, and friends to effectively support them in diabetes self-management.

Why do health care systems need community partnerships? Life with diabetes goes beyond the doctor's office. It requires patient involvement. Self-management is a complex goal requiring community support. Community partnerships may:

• Be traditional services (diabetes education sessions) that can extend a health system's patient care
• Help patients who have special needs (e.g., blindness) or limited resources (e.g. no transportation)
• Be very non-traditional, yet supportive:
  • Beauty and barber shops may have access to hard-to-reach populations
  • Shoe stores may partner to raise foot care awareness
  • Faith-based organizations can offer support group opportunities.

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