By Lauren Carr
Strategic Manager, Policy & Government Affairs
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Diabetes and Kidney Disease Webinar
On March 28, in honor of Kidney Awareness Month, EmblemHealth partnered with New York City Council Member Lynn Schulman, Chair of the Committee on Health, to host an educational webinar on diabetes and kidney disease to raise awareness and to empower individuals to make healthy choices
03/30/2023
On March 28, in honor of Kidney Awareness Month, EmblemHealth partnered with New York City Council Member Lynn Schulman, Chair of the Committee on Health, to host an educational webinar on diabetes and kidney disease to raise awareness and to empower individuals to make healthy choices.
If you couldn’t join us or would like to see it again, watch the video (59:51) to the right.
Spreading awareness is crucial to ensure individuals are managing these chronic conditions, especially since data shows many affected individuals don’t even know they have the conditions, and certain populations are more impacted than others, including Black and Hispanic individuals. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control, more than 10% of people across the U.S. have diabetes, and of those, 23% are undiagnosed. Having diabetes is a risk factor for developing kidney disease, and approximately one in three adults with diabetes may have chronic kidney disease. More than 15% of adults across the U.S. have chronic kidney disease, and of those, as many as 9 in 10 adults do not know they have it.
“There is no denying the growing prevalence of diabetes and kidney disease in our city, especially among our Black, Latino, Asian, and low-income communities that may lack access to critical information on management and support,” said Council Member Schulman. “As we aim to eliminate health disparities, spreading awareness through discussions with health care professionals and advocates on these issues is imperative.”
The webinar featured remarks from New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan, who shared NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene data from 2021 finding 12% of adult New Yorkers have been told they have diabetes — an increase of over 50% in just the last eight years, with disproportionally higher rates among Black and Latino populations.
Other presenters included Dr. Yevgeniya Dynkevich, Chair, Endocrinology and Nutrition, ACPNY, and Kristin Cardillo, Registered Dietician-Nutritionist, ACPNY, who gave an overview and actionable tips on managing diabetes and preventing or delaying complications. Monique Hardin-Cordero, Director, Community Impact and Health Partnerships, National Kidney Foundation, also joined the conversation and discussed kidney disease risk factors, treatments, how to advocate for yourself, and more.
This webinar is just one example of all the work underway across our enterprise focused on improving health outcomes and reducing disparities for those impacted by diabetes and kidney disease. Some of the other efforts underway target:
- Our communities — At the East New York and Crown Heights Neighborhood Care sites, diabetes screenings are occurring on select days, with A1c screenings available for EmblemHealth members and blood pressure screenings available for all community members.
- Our members — Under medical management leadership and in partnership with primary care clinicians, EmblemHealth is launching KidneyIntelx: a test that produces a custom patient risk score to predict which adults with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease are at risk for rapid progressive decline in kidney function or kidney failure. EmblemHealth is also working with nephrologist groups such as PRINE Health to launch its first specialty value-based care contract for members with advanced kidney disease, ensuring high quality care for these members.
- Our employees — WellSpark coaching, education, and support is available to eligible team members, including the Diabetes Prevention Program to prevent type 2 diabetes and Help 364 for those living with a chronic condition.
The Public Policy team will continue to address pressing public health and health equity issues in partnership with our internal experts and external allies. Look out for more programming in the coming months.
Note: Any information provided during the course of this session is for informational purposes only. It is not medical advice and should not be substituted for regular consultation with your health care provider. If you have any concerns about your health, please contact your health care provider's office. This information provided during this session is not intended to imply that services or treatments described in the information are covered benefits under your plan.