FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Jonathan Edwards, (334) 206-5605
According to the most recent surveillance data available, Alabama has the highest percent of adults diagnosed with diabetes of any state in the nation. The 2013 Alabama Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System estimates that 13.8 percent of adults in Alabama, or approximately
one in every seven adults, has been diagnosed with diabetes. Unfortunately, the percent of people actually living with diabetes is much higher than current estimates, because many people are unaware they have the disease and remain undiagnosed.
With federal funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Alabama Department of Public Health announces a request for proposals to increase access and utilization of diabetes self-management education programs. Eligible health care providers eligible include hospitals, senior centers, pharmacies, federally qualified health centers, local
health departments, rural health councils, and primary health care providers that meet certain requirements.
The total amount awarded will be $110,000, with grant ceilings between $10,000 and $20,000. Completed applications are due Aug. 21, 2015, and awards will be announced Sept. 4, 2015.
Self-management programs for Type 2 diabetes are cost-effective from a health system standpoint due to reductions in long-term complications. Patients who receive diabetes selfmanagement education in a group setting improve their diabetes knowledge and lower their need for diabetes medication by reducing and maintaining control of their A1C levels, systolic blood pressure levels, and body weight.
For more information, questions or a copy of the request for proposal, please contact Shanone Medlock at (334) 206-5640, email Shanone.Medlock@adph.state.al.us, address: Bureau of Health Promotion and Chronic Disease, RSA Tower, 201 Monroe St., Suite 900H, Montgomery,
Ala. 36104.
To obtain a copy of the request for proposal, please download the RFP online www.adph.org/diabetes, click on “Self-Management Education” in the menu.
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