In November 2019, Philadelphia launched the Cities Changing Diabetes program to involve communities in improving diabetes prevention and management. Philadelphia was the first city to launch online during the pandemic, including hosting a virtual “innovation challenge” designed to connect stakeholders for communication and collaboration on this very important public health issue.
Forty-three proposals were submitted by community-based organizations, educational entities and others, and the top teams were invited to develop their idea in a boot-camp style workshop. Five projects were ultimately selected by the Cities Changing Diabetes – Philadelphia Advisory Board to receive initial funding and begin implementation in 2021.
One of those five funded projects focuses on the Latino community’s struggle with diabetes. Called Champions of Hope: Latinos Preventing Diabetes, this project is a collaboration between Esperanza, Jefferson health system, the Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA), the National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN), and the Society of Ibero Latin American Medical Professionals. This collaboration effort will cultivate an intergenerational approach to Latino diabetes prevention, where youth become the catalysts for community health education.
Cities Changing Diabetes – Philadelphia announced the five winning projects of the Innovation Challenge at a virtual town hall event on Wednesday, January 13, 2021. The event featured remarks from Steve Albers, Corporate VP, Market Access and Public Affairs for Novo Nordisk and State Representative Jordan Harris, with Reverend Canon Toneh Smyth moderating. More information will be reported on the progress of these community-based projects as they are implemented.
