Project IMPACT: Diabetes
Launched in 2010 in partnership with the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation’s Together on Diabetes™ initiative, Project IMPACT: Diabetes is the first national diabetes self-management program conducted by the APhA Foundation that is successfully improving care for more than 2,000 uninsured, under-insured, poverty-stricken, homeless and other people with diabetes in 25 communities disproportionately affected by diabetes. ​
​Project IMPACT: Diabetes transformed health care delivery in local communities and improved patient outcomes. Through the proven collaborative care model developed and used by the APhA Foundation for nearly two decades, patients became better informed and learned how to self-manage their condition, which resulted in an improvement in overall health and reduced their risk of major complications associated with diabetes, including kidney disease, amputations and blindness.
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Final results were e-published and appear in the September/October 2014 print edition of JAPhA. Visit our publications page to view the articles.
To view more of our work in addressing diabetes through overcoming therapeutic inertia, click here.
Over 50 news articles about Project Impact: Diabetes have been published since 2011
The Background
Launched in 2010, Project IMPACT: Diabetes is the first national diabetes self-management program conducted by the APhA Foundation in partnership with the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation’s Together on Diabetes initiative that is specifically designed to improve the health of underserved populations with limited access to quality care in 25 participating communities disproportionately affected by diabetes.
Today, more than 2,000 patients who are uninsured, under-insured, homeless and/or living below the poverty line are receiving care from community-based interdisciplinary teams that include pharmacists, physicians, diabetes educators and other members of the health care team.
Participating organizations include community and university-affiliated pharmacies, self-insured employers, Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), free clinics and others that have the opportunity to leverage unique stakeholders, existing programs, creative ideas, and additional resources to effectively adapt and implement similar models of care. The APhA Foundation provides communities with tools, resources, guidance and support to facilitate local success.
Project IMPACT: Diabetes is modeled after several other highly successful APhA Foundation programs that produced positive clinical, humanistic and economic outcomes, including the Diabetes Ten City Challenge (2005-2009); the Patient Self-Management Program for Diabetes (2003-2005); and the APhA Foundation’s cholesterol management program, Project ImPACT: Hyperlipidemia™ (1996-1999).
Frequently Asked Questions
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Key Objectives
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Expand proven community-based models of care to patients who need it the most in communities across the U.S.
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Improve key indicators of diabetes care in selected communities
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Strengthen local models of care by establishing community peer-to-peer networking and mentoring relationships
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Establish a sustainable platform for permanent change by embedding the following guiding principles:
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Identification and support of disproportionate share populations
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Implementation of collaborative care programs engaging pharmacists
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Establishment of continuous quality improvement processes
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Utilization of patient self-management credentialing
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Collection and regular reporting of minimum data sets
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Advisory Committee
​An Advisory Committee of industry leaders provided input and guidance to the project. The group includes representatives from:
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American Pharmacists Association
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Center for Health Value Innovation
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Giant Food Stores
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National Diabetes Education Program
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U.S. Health and Human Resources (HHS) Office of Women’s Health
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U.S. Health Resource Services Administration – Pharmacy Services Support Center
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Walgreens
In partnership with Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation Together on Diabetes
The Participants
Project IMPACT: Diabetes took root in 25 diverse communities in 17 states across the United States.
Participating organizations included community and university-affiliated pharmacies, self-insured employers, Federally Qualified Health Centers (FHQCs), and free clinics.
Participating patients range from the unhoused to farm workers to school teachers and more. Target patient populations were identified based on the following criteria:
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Geographic areas with a high incidence of diabetes
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Patients with sub-optimal hemoglobin A1C and other outcomes
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Patients with limited access to quality diabetes care
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Communities with socioeconomic challenges and other factors that impact patient access to care.
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About the Communities
Each Project IMPACT community consists of unique local partners who come together with the goal of improving the health of people with diabetes. These partners are located in a single geography and care for a defined patient population.
Read more about the 25 participating organizations below.
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About the Experts
Project IMPACT: Diabetes was implemented by a team of dedicated individuals who believe in the role of the pharmacist in improving diabetes care.
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Two APhA Foundation staff members provided oversight for the design and implementation of the project, created resources for communities, and monitored and analyzed data collected from the communities
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Three pharmacist consultants served as implementation liaisons between the Foundation and the communities. Each of these Community Coordinators helped 8-9 communities successfully implement the Foundation’s care model.
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Over 25 Community Champions were responsible for the local implementation and success of each community. These on-the-ground project leaders interfaced with the APhA Foundation, managed the local stakeholders and data, and served as the spokespeople for the community.
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Community Champions
​Each of the following community champions led the local implementation of Project IMPACT: Diabetes:
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Applachian College of Pharmacy: Elshamly Abdelfattah, RPh
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Balls Food Stores: Nikki Schwartze, RPh and John Witt, RPh
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Central Ohio Diabetes Association: Jeanne Grothaus
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Centro de Salud Familiar La Fe, Inc: Jeri Sias, RPh
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County of Santa Barbara Department of Health: Carol Millage, RPh
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CrossOver Health Care Ministries: Sallie Mayer, RPh
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Eau Claire Cooperative Health Centers: Valencia Gray-Williams, RPh
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Eau Claire Internal Medicine - Cooperative Health Pharmacy: Dean Slade, RPh
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El Rio Health Centers: Sandra Leal, RPh
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El Rio – Pascua Yaqui Reservation: Marisa Rowen, RPh
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Fink’s Pharmacy: Kristen Fink, RPh & Christine Lee-Wilson, RPh
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Jefferson County Department of Health: B. DeeAnn Dugan, RPh
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Kroger, TriHealth, and City of Cincinnati: Jim Kirby, RPh
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Mountain States Health Alliance: Joy Waddell, RPh
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Paramount Farms and Komoto Pharmacy: Roxanne Wolfe
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Price Chopper: Kimberly Houser, RPh & Alicia Roberts, RPh
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The Daily Planet: Kelly Goode, RPh
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The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy: Stuart Beatty RPh
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University of Kentucky School of Pharmacy: Holly Divine, RPh & Trish Freeman, RPh
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University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy and Diabetes Care Group: Courtney Davis, RPh & Lauren Bloodworth, RPh
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Variety Care: Jamie Farley, RPh
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West Virginia Health Right: Patricia White
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Wichita Public Schools and Dillons Pharmacy: Dean Benton, RPh & Shannon Krysl
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Wingate University School of Pharmacy: Delilah Jackson, RPh
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Zufall Health Center: Teresita Lawson, RPh & Rina Ramirez, MD​
The Methods
The process of care deployed in Project IMPACT: Diabetes was a refinement of that used in the Patient Self-Management Program for Diabetes and the Diabetes Ten City Challenge. These past projects brought together interdisciplinary care teams, innovative payers, and aligned incentives to create a diabetes care model that improved health outcomes, enhanced the quality of care, and reduced costs. In Project IMPACT: Diabetes, the communities are very diverse and care for patient populations that face significant barriers to managing their diabetes, which required a flexible approach to implementing the care model across the US.
Pharmacists' Patient Care Services
The key requirement within Project IMPACT: Diabetes is that all communities include pharmacists on their diabetes care teams. Collectively, more than 80 pharmacists are participating in Project IMPACT: Diabetes. These pharmacists meet one-on-one with patients to provide targeted education based on the Patient Self-Management Credential, medication-related coaching, and goal achievement plans that fits into their lives. Pharmacists talk to patients about what diabetes is, how medicines help address the problem, diet changes, exercise plans, and the many barriers that may keep that patient from being an effective self-manager of their health. Pharmacists hold their patients accountable for good self-management behavior by showing each person how much they care, investing time into frequent visits, and truly listening to the challenges each person is facing.
Interdisciplinary Health Care Teams
Pharmacists do not work alone when helping patients become better self-managers – integration into the healthcare team is essential. Each community brings together a unique group of stakeholders based upon what services are needed and provided within that community. Pharmacists collaborate with these stakeholders to design care plans, select and adjust medications, and bring resources to patients. Collaborating healthcare team members within communities include:
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Family practitioners
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Nurses
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Physician assistants
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Certified diabetes educators
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Social workers
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Dietitians
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Patient advocates or promatoras