Emory University offers free Diabetes Prevention Program to employees

Emory University has made a lasting commitment to the health and wellness of its faculty and staff. In addition to wellness initiatives and preventive screenings, this commitment includes programs that help faculty and staff who are living with chronic diseases.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 84 million US adults have prediabetes. Medical expenses for people diagnosed with diabetes are about 2.3 times higher than for people without diabetes.

Prediabetes and diabetes have profound, negative effects on Emory’s employees, their families, and the university. Based on the CDC Diabetes Prevention Impact Tool and data from Aetna, the prevalence of prediabetes among Emory employees is estimated to be 28 percent, and the prevalence of diabetes is 3.5 percent for Emory University and 6.1 percent for Emory Healthcare. Among Emory medical plan members who have diabetes, $29 million was spent in 2016 for all healthcare costs related to diabetes.

To help prevent or delay diabetes among faculty and staff, Emory is offering the CDC’s Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) to employees who have prediabetes or are at risk for type 2 diabetes at Emory University and Emory Healthcare beginning in January 2019. The DPP is a structured program that helps participants change certain aspects of their lifestyles, such as eating healthier, reducing stress, and getting more physical activity. The program also includes group support from others who share similar goals and struggles. It consists of 16 hour-long weekly classes for the first 16 weeks and an additional eight to 16 classes for the remainder of the 12-month program.

A variety of class times and locations are offered by the Emory DPP to ensure the program is accessible to all employees with different work schedules. In addition, Emory will offer medical plan incentives to eligible employees who participate. Click here for more information about the program.