Six healthcare organizations have been awarded grants from the American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM) to develop models to improve prediabetes awareness, screening and referral to diabetes prevention programs, the ACPM announced Dec. 14.

The referral models will be designed specifically for Medicare patients because the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program is scheduled to become a covered benefit starting April 1, 2018, according the ACPM’s press release.

“There is tremendous value in the National DPP for preventing one of our nation’s most prevalent and growing conditions,” ACPM President Robert Carr said in the release. “We need to increase the number of patients who are referred by their physicians to the CDC-recognized diabetes prevention programs. We are excited about the innovative ideas and models that the grantees will develop to amplify and accelerate uptake in this important effort.”

The six healthcare organizations, representing three provider categories, are as follows:

• South Nassau Community Hospital, Oceanside, New York (integrated delivery system)
• Portland Family Medical Center, Portland, Maine (integrated delivery system)
• Griffin Faculty Physicians, Derby, Connecticut (independent practice association)
• Accent on Health, Washington, D.C. (independent practice association)
• Northeast Missouri Health, Kirksville, Missouri (federally qualified health center)
• Christopher Rural Health Planning Corporation, Mulkeytown, Illinois (federally qualified health center)

Each grantee will develop and document methods for increasing prediabetes awareness, screening and referral within medical practice settings, resulting in case studies and suggestions for other organizations across the country. The findings will be presented in May 2018.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 84 million Americans are living with prediabetes, which can increase a person’s risk for type 2 diabetes, heart attack and stroke.