The Indian Health Service (IHS) is achieving care in their diabetes programs to help American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities in the U.S. The AI/AN population currently has the highest incidence of diabetes among all ethnic groups, and approximately two out of every three AI/AN people experiencing kidney failure are diabetic.
The American Diabetes Association www.diabetes.org has continuously advocated funding and reauthorizing the Special Diabetes Program for Indians (SDPI) www.ihs.gov/sdpi. This program currently receives $150 million annually to help 301 IHS, Tribal and Urban Indian health programs in 35 states implement evidence-based strategies for diabetes treatment and prevention at the local level.
Since each program can use the funds they receive in the way that works best for their population, they can target the needs of their communities to an individualized diabetes care plan tailored to meet the needs of individuals.
In January, the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) http://searhc.org was awarded $1,039,603 by IHS as part of SDPI The annual grant supports diabetes care and prevention services at SEARHC facilities throughout southeast Alaska for five years, potentially bringing more than $5 million to the region to help diabetic patients.
SEARHC offers a comprehensive array of services to help people manage and prevent diabetes. Services include education on managing diabetes, primary care visits, visits to dietitians, information on medications, foot care, and case management. SEARHC also offers optometry and dental services to provide the special screening and care needed to help people with diabetes.
In 2016, the American Diabetes Association worked with the House and Senate Diabetes Caucuses to secure support for SDPI leading into a reauthorization year which resulted in 346 Members of the House and 75 Senators committed to the program.