Aligning to Improve Outcomes: The Alliance to Reduce Disparities in Diabetes A presentation from a symposium at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Division of Diabetes Translation's (DDT) 34th annual Diabetes Translation Conference on April 11-14, 2011 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

1. The Alliance to Reduce
Disparities in Diabetes
II. Advancing Policy and Systems Change
Supported by the Merck Company Foundation
www.alliancefordiabetes.org

2. The Alliance seeks to advance
policy and systems change
informed by local experience and
lessons learned on the ground.

3. How Does the Alliance Contribute?
a. It is an opportunity to understand how to implement
evidence-based interventions at the local level.
b. It allows identification of common features across
diverse communities and at the same time affords
learning in how to adapt to unique situations and
community characteristics
c. It can share information and inform policy at multiple
levels to account for day to day realities of providing
quality care to those most in need.

4. What policy change
themes are emerging
in the Alliance’s
work?

5. National Messages
Alliance sites are generating a range of policy related themes:
• Data sharing across institutions is necessary to
identify the most troublesome diabetes cases
[Camden]
• Cultural guides and training are necessary for
providers not of the same ethnicity as clients [Wind
River]
• Community health promoters are needed as official
members of the health care team [Baylor]

6. National Messages
Alliance sites are generating a range of policy related themes:
• Data sharing must extend beyond internal, medical
systems to independent community practices and
practitioners [Baylor]
• Formal links are needed between health facilities
and community organizations, particularly churches
[Memphis]
• Support is needed in community clinics for diabetes
“champions” to lead disparity reducing interventions
[Chicago]