Francine R. Kaufman, M.D., director of the Comprehensive Childhood Diabetes Center and head of the Center for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, began a three-year term as NDEP’s new chair on October 1. As chair of NDEP, Dr. Kaufman is charged with strengthening the program’s commitment to changing the way diabetes is treated by increasing awareness of the importance of managing diabetes to reduce its complications, preventing or delaying the onset of type 2 diabetes among those at risk, and by disseminating information to encourage people to take action to prevent or control the disease.

Dr. Kaufman has served on NDEP committees since 2000 and now continues the work of previous chair Lawrence Blonde, M.D., F.A.C.P., F.A.C.E. She has previously chaired a committee to revise NDEP’s Helping the Student with Diabetes Succeed: A Guide for School Personnel and served as vice chair of NDEP’s Diabetes in Children and Adolescents Work Group and chair of its Transition from Pediatric to Adult Health Care Subcommittee.

Dr. Kaufman has appointments at the Keck School of Medicine and the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Southern California as Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics and Communications. A diplomat of the American Board of Pediatrics and board certified in pediatric endocrinology and metabolism, Dr. Kaufman is also a former president of the American Diabetes Association and in 2005 was elected as a member of the Institute of Medicine.

NDEP has partnered with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to bring you three online videos about type 2 diabetes. The videos are a great resource for people who might be at risk or have been recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

The videos feature informational interviews with people who live with type 2 diabetes and use graphics to explain the science behind the disease, such as how blood glucose operates in the body. The videos also address symptoms and risk factors for type 2 diabetes, emphasize the importance of physical activity and making healthy food choices, and point out how health care professionals can help people with diabetes manage their disease.

The videos can be viewed at www.healthcare411.org, and through the following links:

• What is Type 2 Diabetes? Part 1
• What is Type 2 Diabetes? Part 2
• What is Type 2 Diabetes? Part 3

To learn more about type 2 diabetes, visit www.YourDiabetesInfo.org.

NDEP has released revised fact sheets reflecting the most recent diabetes statistics, including prevalence rates for high-risk groups including African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, American Indians and Alaska Natives, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and a brand new fact sheet for older adults. The 2007 National Diabetes Fact Sheet indicates that the prevalence of diabetes in ethnic minority populations continues to rise, heightening concerns about health disparities among those populations.

The following information can be found in fact sheets tailored to each of these high-risk groups:

• 3.7 million African Americans* have diabetes. Non-Hispanic blacks are about 1.8 times more likely to have diabetes as non-Hispanic whites 20 years and older.
• 10.4 percent of Hispanics/Latinos* ages 20 or older have diagnosed diabetes.
• About 16.5 percent of American Indians and Alaska Natives* ages 20 years and older who are served by the Indian Health Service have diagnosed diabetes.
• The rate of diagnosed diabetes in Asian Americans* is 7.5 percent.
• 12.2 million Americans age 60 and older*, or 23.1 percent of this age group, have diabetes, making it the highest rate among all age groups.

To download more diabetes fact sheets, visit NDEP’s campaign tools webpage.

The October 2008 issue of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s Preventing Chronic Disease: Public Health Research, Practice, and Policy includes an article describing NDEP evaluation techniques and authored by NDEP-NIH Director Joanne Gallivan, M.S., R.D., Rachel Greenberg, M.A., and Clarice Brown, M.S.

“The National Diabetes Education Program Framework: How to Design an Evaluation of a Multifaceted Public Health Education Program” explains the evaluation process that has served as a roadmap and guided NDEP through asking key evaluation questions and identifying practical solutions to obtaining answers. The process has also been helpful in educating NDEP partners and other stakeholders regarding useful, feasible, appropriate, and accurate measures for evaluating NDEP.

Most importantly, the evaluation framework enables NDEP to continuously refine the program’s efforts based on evaluation findings so that it can continue to deliver crucial health messages. For more background information about NDEP’s evaluation, read CDC’s Framework for Program Evaluation in Public Health.

NDEP is currently promoting a new feature article entitled “Ten Smart Snacks for Teens”* to general print and online publications. The article emphasizes that most teens need snacks as part of their daily intake, but the trick is to make healthy food choices and eat snacks in the right amounts. The article also provides smart and easy snack suggestions to help teens stay at a healthy weight to lower their risk for type 2 diabetes.

To learn more about healthy food choices for teens, check out NDEP’S Tips for Teens tip sheet series.

In November, NDEP will celebrate National Diabetes Awareness Month and World Diabetes Day (November 14) by promoting NDEP awareness and diabetes prevention messages through the One Call, One Click and Small Steps. Big Rewards. Prevent Type 2 Diabetes campaigns. During this month, NDEP will release new radio public service announcements that will emphasize having a family history of diabetes as a risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes.

In December, NDEP will release a new feature article highlighting a recipe for an entrée that people with diabetes and their entire family can enjoy. For more diabetes meal options, check out NDEP’s Recipe and Meal Planner Guide, available in English and Spanish.

In each issue of News & Notes look for NDEP promotional tools that are ready for you to personalize, customize, and distribute.

• Take our feature articles, press releases, and public service announcements, and add your organization’s logo*.
• Add your organization’s name and mission and talk about how you and NDEP are working together.
• Add your contact information to a feature article.
• Then submit the ad and/or article to your local paper.

By using our promotional tools, everybody wins. Your community newspaper receives a story with important health information for its readers, your organization receives good publicity, and you help NDEP continue to be the nation’s No. 1 resource for free information and materials on diabetes control and prevention. Each issue of News & Notes features tools that tie into the following month’s promotions and can help us promote NDEP together.

Medicare recently introduced “Ask Medicare,” a free online resource to help Medicare applicants and beneficiaries navigate the government claims system. The new, more user-friendly site consolidates Medicare information into several portals, directing the Medicare user to specifics about their Medicare coverage and to networking tools like caregiving message boards, discussion groups, and newsletters.

Site features include simple links such as “Is it Covered?,” which includes information about diabetes supplies and services, and “Compare Drug Plans,” which answers questions about coverage benefits, as well as a direct link to “File a Claim.” Links to related websites offer additional help in deciphering Medicare coverage and provide additional local resources that can supplement Medicare benefits.

For more information, visit www.medicare.gov/caregivers.

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) has launched a national educational campaign to provide men with diabetes information and resources to help them better manage their diabetes and other health conditions that may be associated with diabetes.

According to ADA research*, only 30 percent of men surveyed claimed to know “a lot” about their disease, 60 percent felt that more information could help them better manage their disease, and 65 percent felt that more information could help them communicate with health care professionals about their disease. Many men are unaware of their risk for complications such as heart attack, stroke, blindness, and amputation, as well as other conditions that affect their physical, sexual, and emotional health, according to ADA.

In response to these findings, ADA now offers enhanced online resources*, including diet and exercise tips, information about sleep apnea and other conditions, and information about physical, emotional, and sexual health. For more information about the campaign, visit ADA’s website.

Looking for large quantities of free diabetes materials to use at your next conference, health fair, or presentation? Look no further! NDEP is a one-stop-shop for diabetes information and resources. Many materials can be ordered in quantities as large as 200 copies, and the first 25 copies of most materials are free. NDEP’s Publications Catalog addresses the quantity available for each NDEP material.

All materials may be downloaded, reproduced, and distributed without copyright restrictions. Feel free to duplicate and disseminate as many copies of these materials as desired at your next community health event and feature NDEP campaigns, messages, and materials at your exhibit. Commercial printer-ready CDs are also available for most materials. You can provide these CDs directly to a printer as is, or add your organization’s logo and contact information. To order printer-ready CDs for a specific NDEP material, call the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse at 1-800-860-8747.

You can download or order online by visiting NDEP’s online publications catalog at www.YourDiabetesInfo.org/diabetes/pubs/catalog.htm. NDEP also has an online Spanish-language publications catalog available.

Or, order by phone by calling 1-888-693-NDEP (6337). Both English and Spanish-speaking consumers can order materials from this number.

For more information on NDEP’s publication order limits and to order materials, visit www.YourDiabetesInfo.org or call 1-888–693-NDEP (6337). Please allow four to six weeks for delivery.

NDEP will exhibit at this upcoming conference:

• American Dietetic Association
  Oct 25-28, 2008; Chicago, IL
  NDEP-NIH Director Joanne Gallivan, M.S., R.D. will receive the American Dietetic Association’s Excellence in Community Dietetics Award here during a session entitled, “The Diabetes Pandemic: The Role of the Dietitian” on October 27 at 3 p.m.