RYAN HEALTH NETWORK RECEIVES RENEWAL GRANT FROM ROBIN HOOD FOR DIABETES MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
RYAN HEALTH NETWORK RECEIVES RENEWAL GRANT FROM
ROBIN HOOD FOR DIABETES MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
Grant Will Support Three Certified Diabetes Educators to Target High-Risk Diabetes Patients
NEW YORK (April 3, 2018) – The William F. Ryan Community Health Network (Ryan Health Network), a family of health centers delivering care to communities throughout Manhattan, is pleased to announce its Diabetes Management Program has been selected to receive a renewal grant of $425,000 from Robin Hood, the largest poverty-fighting organization in New York. The grant will support three Certified Diabetes Educators to provide critical services to high-risk patients with diabetes at five of the Ryan Health Network’s community health centers. This funding will enable the Diabetes Management Program to continue its focus on improving health outcomes for the Ryan Network’s diabetic patient population.
“The Ryan Health Network is grateful to have continued support from Robin Hood. The grant will provide our highest-risk diabetic patients in medically underserved communities access to education and the tools they need to successfully manage their disease,” said Brian McIndoe, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Ryan Health Network. “The hundreds of patients in our Diabetes Management Program will be able to lead healthier lives thanks to Robin Hood’s continued partnership with us.”
Creating a culture of awareness about lifestyle choices that can help prevent diabetes and limit its harmful effects is key to ensuring better health outcomes for the Ryan Health Network’s patients. Diabetes educators play a crucial role in helping patients learn to manage their diabetes by:
- · Adhering to medication;
- · Monitoring their blood glucose levels;
- · Completing annual eye and foot exams; and
- · Improving diet and exercise habits.
The Ryan Health Network’s team of diabetes educators specifically targets this patient population, which is considered high-risk and can easily fall out of care; this applies to over one-third of Type-2 diabetes patients. A quarter of the Ryan Health Network’s diabetic population also has high blood pressure, making them more susceptible to heart disease and other serious complications like kidney disease.
“Diabetes is such a pivotal health issue facing low-income communities,” said Sarah Oltmans, managing director of health at Robin Hood. “The Ryan Health Network provides critical support to help achieve strong outcomes for its diabetic patients. We’re looking forward to our continued partnership.”
Between 1993 and 2011, the prevalence of diabetes among New York City adults increased 150 percent, according to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. An estimated 987,000 New Yorkers are diabetic, with 19 percent of them unaware they even have it.
A key component to the Ryan Health Network’s Diabetes Management Program is comprehensive data collection and analysis to ensure accurate, targeted monitoring, and outreach to high-risk patients with diabetes. The data collected helps diabetes educators determine if they are helping patients control their diabetes and if patients are utilizing their services to achieve better self-management.
Program services are offered at five of the Ryan Health Network’s community health centers:
Ryan/West 97th Street on the Upper West Side; Ryan/Adair and Ryan/Frederick Douglass in Harlem; Ryan/Chelsea-Clinton in Hell’s Kitchen; and Ryan-NENA on the Lower East Side.
People living with diabetes interested in learning more about Ryan Health Network’s diabetes management program can call (212) 749-1820.
