IPRO has completed self-management training for about 900 Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes, under a special three-year program devoted to supporting seniors in underserved communities. These free Diabetes Wellness Workshops are offered in English and Spanish at community centers in all five boroughs of New York City.
IPRO is one of a select group of Quality Improvement Organizations working on this project, under the direction of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). IPRO’s goal is to have 2,500 beneficiaries complete the program by August 2011.
To support the effort, IPRO is partnering with Univision Radio’s flagship New York City station, WADO (1280 AM), to promote the program to Hispanic beneficiaries. The Univision partnership will include ongoing radio spots, web promotion, participation in health fairs and a November 2010 “graduation” event for program participants. IPRO is currently evaluating similar partnerships with radio stations that serve the City’s African-American population.
Roughly one in eight New York City residents has diabetes, and nearly 60% of NYC adults diagnosed with diabetes are African American or Hispanic. For more information on the project, contact Project Manager Janice Hidalgo at (516) 209-5310.