WORLDWIDE CONTACT US ABOUT US PRODUCTS RESEARCH LICENSING NEWSROOM CAREERS INVESTORS Home BRIDGING THE GAP IN DIABETES CARE About Us Corporate Responsibility Reimbursement Support and Patient Assistance Programs Leadership Board of Directors Executive Committee Our Work How We Operate Code of Conduct Compliance Privacy Transparency and Privacy Internet Privacy Policy Cookie Privacy Commitment Cross Border Policy Employment Privacy & Data Protection Diversity Employee Diversity Supplier Diversity Views and Positions Access and Affordability Access to Investigational Medicines Innovation Quality and Safety Sales and Marketing Responsible Public Policy and Advocacy Our History Our People Featured Stories More than 29 million people have diabetes in the U.S. alone. Thanks to pioneering individuals and organizations, and with support from the Merck Foundation, small changes made to the way diabetes care is delivered are making big differences in the lives of those affected. In 2009, the Foundation launched a five-year, $15 million initiative – the Alliance to Reduce Disparities in Diabetes (Alliance) – to address the growing problem of healthcare disparities related to type 2 diabetes in the U.S. The initiative focuses on five communities with a high proportion of underserved patients – Camden, N.J.; Chicago, Ill.; Dallas, Texas; Memphis, Tenn.; and the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming. The community-based Alliance programs are bridging the gap in diabetes care and empowering people with diabetes to become active participants in their own care. Recent evaluation of the programs shows their collaborative, multi-faceted strategies to address the need for better coordinated disease education and management have a powerful, positive impact. “From the beginning, the Alliance aimed to help people learn how to become active managers of their health and to ignite changes in the health care system to sustain patient-centered innovations,” said Michael Rosenblatt, MD, Merck’s chief medical officer. “The Alliance sites have proven that local experience can translate to national changes that have the power to improve care and quality, lower costs, and lead to better policies across the board.” Improving Access to Diabetes Care Patients enrolled in Alliance programs received the social support necessary to create positive, long-term habits. Instruction on the importance of diet, exercise, medication adherence and other aspects of diabetes self-management are just a few areas that Alliance healthcare providers addressed. They also worked to create more collaborative systems that would allow hospitals, physician practices and insurers to work together in changing the way care is delivered for underserved populations. In fact, many implemented diabetes registries through electronic medical records and integrated community health workers into their care teams. The Alliance programs also sparked collaboration between healthcare and community organizations to promote healthy lifestyle changes for program participants. In some cases, that collaboration took the form of providing access to healthy foods at farmers’ markets, offering exercise tips at fitness centers, and conducting diabetes education classes at places of worship and in participants’ homes. “Patients enrolled across the Alliance sites really responded when care and support were delivered outside the box,” said Jeffrey Brenner, MD, executive director, Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers, the Alliance’s Camden site. “Building community partnerships and fostering the spirit of empowerment among patients were just a few of the keys to the Alliance’s success. We were reminded of something fundamental – that most of the work in managing chronic disease occurs outside of the healthcare system.” Producing Measurable Results Recent assessments of the Alliance programs found significant improvements in average blood sugar levels in individuals who participated in the programs. Participants in the Camden program experienced fewer hospital admissions, incurring lower costs for their care. In Dallas, support from community health workers helped patients decrease blood glucose levels more successfully than those without access to the support. The impact across the Alliance sites was apparent, with program participants expressing an elevated sense of well-being, greater confidence in managing diabetes, and better self-care behaviors. “We now have meaningful paths to understand and address patients’ core needs,” said Dr. Brenner. “If we can replicate what works, we can take a giant step toward helping the sickest and most vulnerable individuals receive the support they need.” The local successes of the Alliance programs are also helping policymakers see a new model for lowering health system costs. In fact, the Camden site successfully spearheaded an effort that led New Jersey to enact legislation that provided funding for a three-year Medicaid Accountable Care Organization Demonstration Project. “We know that certain evidence-based approaches produce measurable results,” said Dr. Rosenblatt. “The Alliance programs took that knowledge to the next level by adapting these proven approaches to suit the needs and culture of the communities they serve. With this approach, we’ve built the framework to create change that will resonate across the country.” SHARE: REDUCING DISPARITIES IN DIABETES View Alliance site videos and read more about Merck's focus on reducing disparities in diabetes. Learn more about the Alliance to Reduce Disparities in Diabetes programs. DIABETES RESOURCES American Diabetes Association The National Diabetes Education Program CDC's Diabetes Public Health Resource Copyright © 2009-2016 Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc. 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