The NACDD and CDC collaborated with the state of Nebraska to host a state engagement meeting in August 2016 to scale and sustain the DPP. Four months later, they finalized and distributed the Nebraska Diabetes Prevention Action Plan 2016-2018. Here’s how they did it. Following the state engagement meeting a leadership workgroup was formed by Nebraska’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and included established community leaders, self-identified leaders from the state engagement meeting and 1422 funded communities. The workgroup reviewed the Action Planning notes compiled by the NACDD and took a realistic view of current capacity and where they wanted to be in two years. They decided to concentrate efforts in two of the four pillars: awareness and coverage of the DPP. The leadership group reasoned that a push in these areas would build a foundation for screening, testing and referrals as well as enrollment, participation and completion of established programs. Next, the workgroup aligned existing workplans with the Action Plan notes. Nebraska accomplished much in a short time frame by listening closely to partners and simplifying their action plan.

Even before Nebraska held their state engagement meeting a diabetes prevention champion was in the making. Dr. Kevin Nohner heard a talk given by the American Medical Association (AMA) about the National DPP. He was inspired and was ready for action when he, as a member of the Nebraska Medical Association, received the invitation to attend the state engagement meeting. The AMA is one of several national partners the NACDD employs to help states connect to their medical associations. The NACDD can also arrange for the AMA to speak at state engagement meetings about health systems and engaging physicians.

In the weeks following the state engagement meeting, Dr. Nohner and the Nebraska Medical Association presented a resolution to raise awareness among medical providers as well as to increase referrals to the DPP. In addition, the association invited DHHS to contribute information to be published in their quarterly magazine. Together they developed a list of stories and identified contributing writers to represent urban and rural Nebraska as well as the national voice. Eight complementary articles provide a comprehensive look at type 2 diabetes, prediabetes and the DPP in Nebraska. The Nebraska Diabetes Prevention Action Plan and the Nebraska Medicine magazine are posted on the NACDD website. For more information contact Susan Lopez-Payan at slpayan@chronicdisease.org.