New York State Diabetes Campaign Launches 'Half the Care' Ad Campaign to Improve Diabetes Care

New York State Diabetes Campaign Launches 'Half the Care' Ad Campaign to
Improve Diabetes Care
Media Campaign Rallies Providers to Tackle Diabetes Epidemic in New York State

NEW YORK, Nov. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- With 1.7 million New Yorkers suffering from
diabetes, and 3.7 million at risk for developing the disease, the New York
State Diabetes Campaign today unveiled a statewide advertising initiative
urging physicians to provide more comprehensive care to their patients with
diabetes.

Diabetes patients receive only 45% of recommended clinical care based on
national guidelines for screening, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up.* In
response to this startling finding, the "Half the Care" campaign features
full-page images of doctors split in half to dramatize the fact that patients
receive half the care they need and promotes a rallying message that "We can
do better."

"Diabetes is a life-altering disease, and patients' first line of defense
against its devastating complications is their doctors. We have a critical
responsibility to ensure that people get the care they need to live a full
life," said Neil Calman, MD, family physician, President of the Institute for
Family Health, and Campaign Director. Pointing to the fact that the number of
New Yorkers with diabetes could fill Yankee Stadium more than 32 times, he
added, "We play a role in this figure, and we can do better. When doctors
provide proper treatment and care, we can save lives, organs, limbs, and
vision. These ads are designed to connect clinicians with the resources and
support they need to do exactly that."

"Because of the flood of patients and the complexity of treating diabetes,
many providers are overwhelmed," said Wanda Montalvo, RN, MSN, Clinical
Director of the Campaign. "We're partnering with the state's leading medical
professional and health care trade associations to provide training, technical
assistance, and support to help physicians provide the best care possible."
The Campaign, for a limited time, is paying the fees for providers to
participate in national programs that recognize physicians and nurse
practitioners as "diabetes providers of excellence."

The "Half the Care" ads will launch in November, National Diabetes Awareness
Month, in professional medical publications including the Journal of the
American Medical Association and the New England Journal of Medicine, as well
as on popular medical Web sites, such as Medscape. Educational materials also
will be distributed directly to more than 11,000 physicians across New York
State. Doctors and other health care providers can access important resources
on a dedicated Web site, www.FullDiabetesCare.org.

"Diabetes has become a national epidemic and only through a concentrated
effort at every level will we be able to reverse its course," said George
Huntley, Chair of the Board, American Diabetes Association. "The New York
State Diabetes Campaign's 'Half the Care' initiative will reach thousands of
health care providers across New York, and their efforts compliment the
Association's national Stop Diabetes(SM) movement to end the devastating toll
that diabetes takes on the lives of millions of individuals and families
across our nation."

"Diabetes poses not only a serious health risk, but also a huge financial
burden on New Yorkers," said Jacqueline Martinez, Senior Program Director of
the New York State Health Foundation (NYSHealth), which launched the Diabetes
Campaign in 2008. The total cost of diabetes in New York State in 2006 was
estimated to be more than $12 billion.

Martinez added that the Campaign is engaging community and faith-based leaders
and also advocating for better access to nutritious foods and physical
activity space. "The Foundation has invested in this Campaign to transform
diabetes care in New York, and that means empowering both the providers and
the communities that they serve," she said.

For more information about NYSHealth and the work of its grantees, please
visit: www.nyshealthfoundation.org. For more information about the New York
State Diabetes Campaign, please visit: www.nysdiabetescampaign.org.

Established in 2008 with a five-year, $35 million investment from the New York
State Health Foundation, the New York State Diabetes Campaign works to improve
clinical care among primary care providers, mobilize communities, and promote
policies that will sustain high quality clinical care and healthy
environments. The Campaign aims to reverse the statewide diabetes epidemic and
significantly improve the health outcomes of New Yorkers with diabetes.

The New York State Health Foundation is a private Foundation dedicated to
improving the health of all New Yorkers. NYSHealth has a three-part mission:
expanding health insurance coverage, increasing access to high-quality health
care services, and improving public and community health by educating New
Yorkers about health issues and empowering communities to address them.

CONTACT
David Nachtweih, (212) 561-8730 ext. 229
Denise Young Farrell, (212) 206-5241

*Source: New England Journal of Medicine, 2003

SOURCE New York State Diabetes Campaign

David Nachtweih, +1-212-561-8730, ext. 229, or Denise Young Farrell,
+1-212-206-5241, both for New York State Diabetes Campaign