Hospitals in pursuit of excellence

Tackling Diabetes and Health Inequities

The statistics are staggering: The number of Americans diagnosed with diabetes has risen from 1.5 million in 1958 to 18.8 million in 2010, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is estimated that more than 25 million Americans have diabetes, and about 79 million adults have prediabetes, which means they have higher-than-normal blood glucose levels and are at greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke. The risk of developing diabetes is much higher among Hispanics and non-Hispanic blacks. To help hospitals and care systems tackle such challenges, the Equity of Care initiative provides case studies, tools and other resources. Supported by the AHA and four national partners, the EOC website currently features “Dealing with Diabetes,” three video stories from Capital Public Radio that highlight California communities coping with the diabetes epidemic among their African-American, Native American, Latino and Hmong populations.

HPOE.org has nearly 100 case studies related to best practices in diabetes care and many more related to health equity.