The American Diabetes Association is excited to announce our new CEO Chuck Hendersen. Following six months of serving in the interim office of the CEO, Charles was selected from a pool of highly qualified candidates to serve in this position in a search led by the Furst Group, which is ranked as a Top 10 executive search firm by Modern Healthcare and one of “America's Best Executive Search Firms” by Forbes.
Charles joined the ADA in January 2020 from Champion Life Safety Solutions where he was CEO & President. Prior to that, he was a Senior Executive running multi-billion territories across the country for Dell Healthcare, Viacom(MTV Networks), and business development for Commonground Marketing (including executing special events in the field), and RAPP. His professional skillset and success, coupled with his passion and desire to give back makes this a perfect time for him to lead a top non-profit organization. After spending over 24 years in for-profit sectors and volunteering in the non-profit sector, Charles is passionate about spending the balance of his career in a space that will make a significant impact on millions of lives. Philanthropy and Sales/Fundraising is thread through the fabric of his DNA.
Pathway to Stop Diabetes
We launched Pathway to Stop Diabetes ® with a simple, yet revolutionary goal — find scientists at the peak of their creativity and provide them with the autonomy, flexibility and resources toward the road to breakthrough discoveries. We aim to attract and retain brilliant scientists in diabetes. Awarding a five-year grant, providing access to scientific and career mentoring from leading diabetes researchers and creating a diabetes think tank creates a unique formula to cultivate the next generation of leaders, whose discoveries will stop diabetes and all its burdens once and for all.
Insulin was discovered 100+ years ago, and it remains the only treatment for diabetes today. While insulin is lifesaving, it is not a cure. Despite technological advances, too many of us and our loved ones are still fettered by diabetes, fearing about the next high or low and its longterm consequences, including vision loss, kidney failure, heart disease and limb amputations. To ensure that not another 100 years go by without a cure, we are investing in Pathway to Stop Diabetes ® investigators to capitalize on current scientific and technological advances to make life with diabetes better and toward our goal of curing it.
We are in the fight of our lifetime. The diagnosis of diabetes in the U.S. has increased from under 1% in 1957 to one in ten Americans having the disease today. While the number of people needing diabetes care continues to increase, the number of medical professionals needed for diabetes care has dwindled. This brain drain is caused by the low compensation and reimbursement rates—compared with other specialties—high medical school debt and other factors. Researchers project that there will be a shortage upwards of 139,000 physicians for people with diabetes by year 2035. Pathway to Stop Diabetes ® is one of our strategies to proactively address these issues for people with diabetes. We cannot and will not wait.
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We have a new 2022 Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes!
The Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes—2022 provides the latest in comprehensive, evidence-based recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of youth and adults with type 1, type 2, or gestational diabetes; strategies for the prevention or delay of type 2 diabetes and associated comorbidities; and therapeutic approaches that can reduce complications, mitigate cardiovascular and renal risk, and improve health outcomes. Based upon the latest scientific diabetes research and clinical trials, Standards of Care is the gold-standard for professionals in the medical field and includes vital new and updated practice guidelines to care for people with diabetes and prediabetes.
And in other news, financial assistance is now available to people living with diabetes through the new Co-Pay Relief Fund (CPR)
The American Diabetes Association® (ADA) and the Patient Advocate Foundation (PAF) proudly announce the opening of the diabetes fund, expanding PAF’s Co-Pay Relief Program (CPR) to serve people living with diabetes. The launch of this fund, made possible by the support of the ADA, provides financial assistance to people living with diabetes who meet the eligibility requirements to pay for co-pays, deductibles and co-insurance for doctors visits, medications, and testing related to the treatment and management of diabetes, and for medical insurance premiums.
Diabetes account for $1 of every $4 spent on health care in our country, and growing numbers cannot afford the medications they need to survive. The cost of managing diabetes can be financially devastating. According to the Cost of Diabetes Report, annual out-of-pocket expenses average $9,600 more for people with diabetes than those without. Half of adults who are underinsured reported problems with paying medical bills. As more Americans are impacted by rising out-of-pocket insurance requirements, many find themselves skipping care and rationing medications, just so they can make ends meet–especially at the beginning of a new benefit year.
For many years, eligible patients with various medical conditions have benefitted from financial support provided by national Patient Assistance Programs to get the care they need. Despite the prevalence of diabetes, people with diabetes did not have consistent, meaningful access previously to this critical safety net resource. The diabetes fund is part of PAF’s Co-Pay Relief Program which has served more than 600,000 people living with cancers and other chronic conditions since the programs’ opening in 2004. Those receiving financial assistance will be able to use the funds to access care, act on their treatment plans, and reduce cost-sharing allowing them to better manage and care for their diabetes.
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Fun is not canceled this summer!
Over the past two years, we adapted our in-person diabetes camp programs nationwide to be offered virtually due to COVID-19.
Imagine Camp
Type 1 diabetes is a lifelong, chronic disease that requires 24/7 management and currently has no cure. At Imagine Camp, we teach children with diabetes critical diabetes self-management skills to ensure a happy and healthy life. In addition, camp is an important venue for connecting campers with other children with diabetes, which improves overall social skills and reduces feelings of isolation. At Imagine Camp, kids will have the opportunity to sing songs, make crafts, fill out an Activity Journal, learn independent diabetes management, and so much more! And the best part is that it is entirely FREE for campers and their families. Imagine Camp Session 1 begins June 7th and continues through July 30th.
Project Power
Diabetes is a nationwide epidemic. 1 in 2 people has diabetes or prediabetes. Over 34 million Americans are diagnosed with diabetes and face its devastating consequences. In Oregon, an estimated 399,000 have diabetes. 1,097,000 (33.5% of the adult population) have prediabetes.Our Imagine Project Power initiative strives to slow the trajectory of childhood obesity through health promotion, nutrition education, and increased physical activity and family involvement for elementary and middle school-aged youth to prevent obesity and a type 2 diabetes diagnosis later in life.
At Project Power, kids will have the opportunity to sing songs, make crafts, fill out an Activity Journal, learn healthy living skills, and so much more! And the best part is that it is entirely FREE for campers and their families. Project Power Session 3 begins October 5 and continues through November 18th.
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The number of children diagnosed with diabetes (either type 1 or type 2) is still rising. Diabetes must be managed 24/7, and for children with diabetes, that includes time spent at school or school-sponsored activities. Younger/newly diagnosed students depend on the adults around them to monitor their blood sugar and administer insulin. To make schools and school-sponsored activities a safer environment, the American Diabetes Association created the Safe at School program. Concerned parents reach out to the ADA, who then connect them with local volunteer trainers. These Safe at School trainers educate teachers and school staff who may be coming in contact with the child on how to treat and recognize high/low blood glucose and how to administer emergency glucagon.
As schools begin to re-open, we anticipate concerns, questions, and challenges that may arise that parents, schools, the medical community, and the legal community will have to navigate together. The return to school in the midst or just following a global pandemic is largely unchartered territory, particularly for students with diabetes. Nevertheless, students with diabetes have legal rights, and these rights do not go away during a global pandemic.
Funds raised by Tour de Cure and the American Diabetes Association go towards advocacy, research, and education efforts. Without the support of our donors, the Safe at School program would not be possible. You can get involved by participating in our Pacific Northwest Tour de Cure, coming up on June 26th. Your support can make a difference in the lives of students living with diabetes and all people impacted by diabetes.
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We had a fantastic time celebrating those living with diabetes on July 25 at 2020 Oregon Tour de Cure! Even though we didn't host a traditional in-person event, our virtual event gave our community a chance to participate with other people across the country – keeping safe distancing rules in place, of course! The 2020 Oregon Tour de Cure had over 200 riders, walkers, and runners registered that raised over $108,000 to support diabetes research, prevention initiatives, and programs to help people living with the disease.
Our wildly popular camps for children with type 1 diabetes also went virtual this year. ADA Imagine Camp was hosted in two online virtual sessions over the summer. Campers received a camp activity box delivered directly to their doorstep at no cost to families. Campers participated in a series of online activities, which featured Rob Howe (“Diabetics Doing Things”) in partnership with Beyond Type 1. Online programming also featured weekly leadership and adventure series, and “Cabin Time” with their peers which included ice breakers, nutrition games, diabetes trivia, and storytelling/dancing.
Due to Imagine Camp’s success, we have also decided to offer our type 2 diabetes prevention program, Project Power, for kids as a virtual program as well. Children learn healthy lifestyle behaviors in an effort to curb T2D later in life and prevent childhood obesity. This is the first time the program will be offered here in Oregon. Imagine Project Power will operate much like ADA Imagine Camp – free activity boxes will be delivered to their doorsteps with supplementary programming available online. Session 1 begins October 13 and registration is now open at diabetes.org/projectpower
Our COVID-19 response carries on: people with diabetes are an at-risk population group for developing serious complications should they contract COVID-19. An estimated 40% of the deaths resulting from COVID-19 have been people living with diabetes and a person with diabetes is twice as likely to die from COVID-19. We have been doing a lot of work in advocacy to ensure the safety of people with diabetes during this pandemic, including advocating for $0 insulin co-pays for the duration of the pandemic and expanding COVID-19 testing in underserved communities. Diabetes.org/coronavirus has resources and information for patients and their families. Most recently, we published “Safe at School” guides for parents who are considering sending their children back to school, as well as a guide for how people with diabetes can safely vote in the upcoming election.
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