Kroger Partners on Diabetes Prevention Program
The Kroger Co. has joined forces with the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) Foundation and preventive-care benefits manager Solera Health to implement Project IMPACT: Diabetes Prevention, a program that will expand access to the National Diabetes Prevention Program’s (National DPP) evidence-based lifestyle-change program to at least 7,500 at-risk adults in underserved U.S. communities over the next five years.
The APhA Foundation’s cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) aims to build infrastructure within community pharmacies to optimize delivery of the National DPP program curriculum, which is designed to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes among adults with prediabetes.
Under Project IMPACT, pharmacists, dietitians and technicians at Kroger pharmacies will be trained to teach the curriculum, while Solera will support community outreach and provide digital technology solutions to help facilitate delivery of the program. A combination of in-person, telehealth and digital technology solutions will enable providers to customize the program to help enrollees successfully complete it.
“More than one out of every three American adults has prediabetes, and most are largely unaware,” said Colleen Lindholz, president of Kroger Pharmacy and The Little Clinic. “We believe that Kroger is uniquely positioned to connect with people in our communities and offer a personalized solution proven to prevent or delay the onset of diabetes. Through the support of our partners, we will use a novel approach to reach more people, create better engagement, and improve outcomes.”
“Our technology platform was purposefully built to connect people with diverse backgrounds and resources, including underserved populations, with the National DPP’s lifestyle-change program that best meets their unique needs and preferences to prevent type 2 diabetes,” added said Brenda Schmidt, CEO of Pheonix-based Solera. “With Project IMPACT: Diabetes Prevention, multimodal delivery of the program will increase access, which should have a substantial and positive impact on patient engagement and outcomes.”
Noting that the program would help “the people who need it the most,” Benjamin Bluml, SVP, research and innovation of the Washington, D.C.-based APhA Foundation, observed, “Working with our partners, The Kroger Co. and Solera Health, we will deliver an innovative model of diabetes prevention care, tailored to meet the needs of the participants, that we believe will help people lead healthier lives.”
In related news, Giant Landover, a division of Ahold Delhaize, offers Prevent T2, part of the National DPP, at eight of its stores in Washington, D.C.; Maryland; and Virginia.
Cincinnati-based Kroger employs 443,000 at 2,792 retail food stores under a variety of local banner names in 35 states and the District of Columbia.