The American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the CVS Health Foundation have announced a new collaboration aimed at improving maternal health outcomes for women with gestational diabetes (GDM) in New York City. This initiative, supported by a $500,000 grant from the CVS Health Foundation, seeks to address critical gaps in care navigation and enhance prenatal and postnatal support for women at high risk for or diagnosed with GDM.
The funding will bolster maternal health services at organizations such as Wyckoff Heights Medical Center, which serves patients in Brooklyn and Queens. Dr. Ralph Ruggiero, chairman of the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology at Wyckoff Heights Medical Center, emphasized the importance of this initiative, stating, “We will focus our work on strengthening prenatal screening and referral for the people we serve who are at high risk for or have been diagnosed with GDM.”
The initiative will also engage the Clinical Directors Network, Inc. (CDN), a New York-based not-for-profit organization that supports clinicians in underserved communities. The collaboration aims to increase access to early GDM screenings, simplify care navigation through a robust referral system, and strengthen the workforce, including community health workers and doulas.
Charles “Chuck” Henderson, CEO of the ADA, highlighted the disparities in GDM incidence and impacts, noting that the collaboration will improve outcomes for women of color. “The collaboration with the CVS Health Foundation opens the door for additional screening, education, and outreach to improve outcomes for women with gestational diabetes,” Henderson said.
See: “The American Diabetes Association Collaborates with CVS Health Foundation to Improve Maternal Health Outcomes” (July 31, 2024)
