March Partner Spotlight
Mar 01, 2013
Background
The Kentucky Department for Public Health’s
Diabetes Prevention and Control Program
(KDPCP) is a public health initiative consisting of a network of state, regional
and local health professionals whose mission is to reduce new cases of diabetes
as well as the sickness, disability and death associated with diabetes and its complications.
Outreach and Promotions
In observance of American Diabetes Association® Diabetes Alert Day 2012, the KDPCP used NDEP’s Diabetes Alert Day campaign resources to raise awareness of diabetes, diabetes risk factors, and behavior change messages to its network of more than 600 partners, including employers, health plans, health care professionals, hospitals and health centers, faith communities, professional associations, universities, and state and local diabetes coalitions. As a result of the KDPCP’s Diabetes Alert Day outreach and partner collaborations, many partners also promoted Diabetes Alert Day to their own networks – reaching an even larger audience.
To kick off Diabetes Alert Day outreach efforts, the KDPCP promoted NDEP’s Diabetes Alert Day resources by distributing the March issue of NDEP’s News & Notes, encouraging readers to add NDEP’s Diabetes Alert Day e-signatures to their email, use NDEP’s prewritten Facebook and Twitter messages, and post NDEP’s Diabetes Alert Day web buttons to their websites. Many of the KDPCP’s partners reported using these easy, budget-friendly ways to raise awareness of diabetes risk factors and resources – such as NDEP’s Just One Step tool – to help people make lifestyle changes to prevent type 2 diabetes.
The KDPCP and its partners also distributed NDEP’s Diabetes Alert Day press release through a variety of outlets across Kentucky. For example, the KDPCP submitted the press release to state media outlets including 149 newspapers, 126 radio stations, and 29 television stations. Additionally, the KDPCP encouraged partners to adapt and localize the release for their own communities. Partners reported that they submitted the release to their local newspapers, published it in their member/employee/consumer newsletters, shared it on their organizations’ websites, and distributed it to clients including pharmacies, senior centers, and hospitals.
Other promotions included sharing NDEP’s Diabetes Alert Day messages through presentations,
bulletin and electronic marquee boards, screening events, and church bulletin inserts.
The KDPCP also distributed Diabetes Alert Day messages in a payroll stuffer distributed
to 35,000 state employees (see example to the left).
Evaluation
To evaluate Diabetes Alert Day outreach efforts, the KDPCP used a web-based reporting system to collect and monitor information about activities and potential exposure to Diabetes Alert Day messages. In March 2012, there were 174 total activities implemented, reaching an audience of more than 1,314,255 people.
For more information about the Kentucky Department for Public Health’s Diabetes Prevention and Control Program, visit http://chfs.ky.gov/dph/info/dpqi/cd/diabetes.htm or contact Reita Jones at Reita.Jones@ky.gov. Also be sure to visit www.YourDiabetesInfo.org/AlertDay2013 for resources you can use to promote Diabetes Alert Day 2013 in your community.
