Special Diabetes Program for Indians: Urban Indian Grant Programs
Urban Indian Health Organizations are an essential component of the Indian health network, providing health care services to American Indians and Alaska Natives living in urban areas. The Special Diabetes Program for Indians currently provides $7.5 million per year to all 34 Urban Indian Health Organizations in 19 states to provide diabetes treatment and prevention services. Over the past ten years, this funding has led to substantial improvements in diabetes care, data quality and reporting, and the health status and quality of life for urban American Indians and Alaska Natives.
Diabetes treatment and prevention for urban American Indians and Alaska Natives Over the past ten years, the The Indian Health Service (IHS) Urban Indian Health Program provides funding to help Special Diabetes Program support the 34 non-profit, American Indian and Alaska Native-controlled Urban Indian Health Organizations. The services provided by these organizations varies from for Indians has led to primary medical and dental care to outreach and referral programs. substantial improvements in
In 1997, the creation of the Special Diabetes Program for Indians significantly the health status and quality augmented support for the Urban Indian Health Organizations by providing an of life for American Indians additional $1.5 million per year to ensure that these organizations could provide diabetes treatment and prevention services to urban American Indians and Alaska and Alaska Natives living in Natives. Ten years since its inception, the Special Diabetes Program for Indians now urban areas. provides $7.5 million per year for enhanced services designed to prevent diabetes and improve diabetes care.
Highlights from the Urban Indian Health grant programs Each of the 34 Urban Indian Health Organizations has used Special Diabetes Program for Indians funding to provide an array of clinical and preventive diabetes activities and services that were unavailable prior to 1997: Walking programs, weight loss programs, and lifestyle change activities benefit not only people at-risk or with diabetes, but also those with other chronic conditions. Diabetes registries help grant programs track clinical care and inform diabetes patients of upcoming appointments, diabetes education opportunities, and community events. Improved diabetes data collection, quality, and reporting enables the Indian health system to describe the burden of diabetes among urban American Indians and Alaska Natives more accurately.
Special Diabetes Program for Indians: Urban Indian Grant Programs
The following success stories shed light on the difference the Special Diabetes Program for Indians has made in the health status and quality of life for urban American Indians and Alaska Natives.
South Dakota Urban Indian Health (Pierre, SD) This grant program provides diabetes treatment and education services to American Indians and Alaska Natives living in the urban area of Pierre, as well as two underserved rural areas in Aberdeen and Sioux Falls. In 2007, the grant program received accreditation by the IHS Integrated Diabetes Education Recognition Program as a quality diabetes education program.
Native American Rehabilitation Association Indian Health Clinic (Portland, OR) The Native American Rehabilitation Association (NARA) helps American Indians and Alaska Natives living in urban Portland stay connected to their culture by weaving tradition, spirituality, and family into their medical care services. This integration of community support is reflected in NARA’s diabetes grant program, which has enrolled 33 patients at risk of developing diabetes in a community-based diabetes prevention program. So far, program participants have collectively lost 285 pounds and 95 inches from waist and hips. The result: Not a single participant has developed diabetes.
Seattle Indian Health Board (Seattle, WA) This grant program uses Special Diabetes Program for Indians funding to provide optometry and podiatry services to address diabetes-related complications. For example, the grant program successfully helped a 64-year-old Navajo man avoid an amputation by providing regular treatment for his diabetes-related foot ulcer and fitting him with protective therapeutic shoes. In 2002, the grant program was honored for their work with the PRO-West Award of Excellence in Health Care Quality.
Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley (Santa Clara, CA) The Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley uses Special Diabetes Program for Indians funds to work intensively with patients to help them change eating habits and become more physically active. One patient in the program lost 26 pounds, no longer takes diabetes medication, and maintains an A1C of 6.5.
American Indian Health and Family Services of Southeast Michigan (Detroit, MI) Special Diabetes Program for Indians funds has enabled this grant program to develop a comprehensive nutrition program to prevent diabetes and diabetes-related complications. A registered dietitian provides weekly nutrition and food preparation—including traditional American Indian and Alaska Native food preparation—education to patients. In addition, patients receive weekly exercise instruction and healthy lifestyle education by a registered nurse.
NATIVE HEALTH (Phoenix, AZ) NATIVE HEALTH uses Special Diabetes Program for Indians funds to implement an innovative and coordinated approach to treating and preventing diabetes by using the Chronic Care Model. The grant program’s health care team works collaboratively with diabetes patients by counseling them on health maintenance, developing exercise and nutrition plans, and closely monitoring them. In addition, the grant program uses health care professionals other than physicians to provide basic diabetes education and develop health maintenance and improvement plans.
Special Diabetes Program for Indians: Urban Indian Grant Programs
Indian Health Board of Billings (Billings, MT) The concept of the diabetes clinic—specialized medical appointments that allow diabetes patients to see the physician, registered dietitian, and dentist at one visit—is the heart of the Indian Health Board of Billings Special Diabetes Program for Indians grant program. This grant program has recently integrated depression screening into their coordinated diabetes services and started focusing on diabetes prevention in youth through a healthy eating program at the Billings Senior High School.
Urban Inter-Tribal Center of Texas (Dallas, TX) The Special Diabetes Program for Indians helped the Urban Inter-Tribal Center of Texas implement a diabetes shoe program to prevent toe and foot amputations resulting from poorly fitting shoes. Since the program started, amputations have decreased from five to zero amputations per year.