The Diabetes Collaborative

The Diabetes Collaborative helps adult patients living in the greater Chicago area better self-manage their type 2 diabetes. To serve patients with diabetes, the program has developed sustainable infrastructure and established chronic care teams. The Diabetes Collaborative provides health information on diabetes management and prevention, including culturally-sensitive patient education, self-management skills training, and instructional materials in both Spanish and English.

The collaborative is a unique partnership between Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Near North Health Services Corporation, Erie Family Health Center, and Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, and has received the prestigious Nova Award by the American Hospital Association (AHA) for their efforts in improving community health.

The Diabetes Collaborative is a comprehensive, sustainable and evidence-based model of care developed to combat the health problems associated with diabetes.

From fiscal year 2006 to 2010, the collaborative increased the patient registry from 200 to more than 2,600, and produced seven bilingual diabetes education videos for an audience with low levels of health literacy. The average HbA1c (blood sugar) levels have decreased from 8.2 to 7.6, with additional positive outcomes in blood pressure, cholesterol, eye and foot exams, self-management goals, and microalbuminuria screenings. In addition, the Diabetes Collaborative has replicated this sustainable model at a second Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) and has received funding to replicate is at a third location.