Global diabetes rates have doubled since 1990. In the Bronx, almost 14% of adults have either type 1 or type 2 diabetes. During November, American Diabetes Month (ADM), Montefiore Einstein hosted almost 40 events, engaging with patients, staff, and community members. These events focused on empowering attendees with knowledge about diabetes prevention and management, including nutritional strategies, early detection, and treatment options.

Montefiore Einstein’s Office of Community & Population Health hosted more than 20 workshops and webinars, in partnership with local community-based organizations. The events, which were informed by the community, educated approximately 600 participants on ways to prevent type 2 diabetes, how to differentiate between reliable and unreliable education resources, and how to navigate support apps like “Findhelp.”

For children with diabetes, the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore (CHAM) coordinated a special Halloween Candy Exchange, to educate families about diabetes management. Local children and their family members interacted with podiatrists, ophthalmologists and dietitians. At the end of the event, the kids exchanged their Halloween candy for a toy.

Evidence Based Efforts

Reinforcing the educational focus of Montefiore’s ADM events, research published in Diabetes Care, by Shivani Agarwal, M.D., M.P.H., director, Supporting Emerging Adults with Diabetes (SEAD) and associate professor, medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, demonstrated the importance of high quality, patient-centered care, and improved access to new technologies and therapies for young adults with type 1 diabetes. Dr. Agarwal and her team showed that flexible communication and shared decision making for young adults with type 1 diabetes significantly raises the uptake of continuous glucose monitors and automated insulin delivery uptake, leading to improvements in hospitalization rates and A1c levels.

“It is clear that how we eat, how we live and our access to educational resources are significant factors that impact diabetes rates in the Bronx and beyond,” said Dr. Agarwal. “Our goal is to better understand how marginalized communities are impacted by diabetes and ensure community feedback is front and center to our management strategies, so we can make a meaningful impact on the prevalence and severity of diabetes for people of all ages.”

Beyond ADM, Montefiore Einstein will continue conducting research, providing clinical and behavioral interventions, connecting people with diabetes resources and investigating new ways to address racial and socioeconomic disparities.

“We believe that community engagement, education and research are essential to improving health outcomes,” said Edwin Torres, Ph.D., MSN, EMBA/MS(c), RN, CHNP, FNP-C, nurse practitioner and diabetes specialist at Montefiore’s Fleischer Institute for Diabetes and Metabolism. “Throughout November, we coordinated a variety of events offering individuals and families resources, tools, and support to manage and prevent diabetes, but our work is not done.”

For more information about Montefiore’s diabetes care and services, please visit - Diabetes Awareness | Montefiore Einstein