New Jersey Diabetes Leadership Forum Highlights Prevention and Management Solutions for Type 2 Diabetes

TRENTON, N.J., March 27, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation (CHLPI) of Harvard Law School released its 2014 New Jersey State Report: Providing Access to Healthy Solutions (PATHS) – An Analysis of New Jersey's Opportunities to Enhance Prevention and Management of Type 2 Diabetes. Released during the Center's Diabetes Leadership Forum, held today in Trenton, New Jersey, the report is a result of extensive research and more than 50 interviews with policymakers, government agencies and non-profit organizations that are playing a role in the state's diabetes response.  The New Jersey PATHS Report provides a comprehensive summary of the type 2 diabetes landscape in the state—including an overview and discussion of the policies that impact type 2 diabetes, and policy recommendations to help reduce the prevalence and consequences of the disease. 

The report was created to empower diabetes advocates, and local and state government in their planning to promote positive policy change and efforts to address the impact of type 2 diabetes within New Jersey communities.  It also serves to complement the state's efforts in its development of New Jersey's first Diabetes Action Plan*. (For a copy of the New Jersey PATHS report or executive summary, visit http://bit.ly/1lmFwy1. The report was funded by a grant from the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation.

"New Jersey has a very high prevalence of diabetes, with approximately 700,000 people living with the disease," said Robert Greenwald, Director of CHLPI and Clinical Professor of Law at Harvard Law School.  "This number is expected to double by 2025, and it is essential that advocates, legislators and government agencies come together and take action now.  Our hope is that the report will support these efforts and provide a resource to those that are already doing great work to address the prevention and care management needs of people living with or at risk for diabetes in the state."

More than 50 individuals from New Jersey government agencies and community-based organizations attended the Forum at Trenton's historic War Memorial to discuss the report's findings and help determine collaborative actions to address the report's top six recommendations, which include:

1. Help people access diabetes prevention and management services including self-management education
2. Enhance care coordination for Medicaid/Family Care enrollees
3. Help people afford fruits and vegetables
4. Help communities gain access to healthy foods
5. Help children get healthy food at school
6. Help to make communities conducive to healthy, active living

About PATHS

PATHS is an initiative led by the Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation of Harvard Law School and funded by the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation.  PATHS works to strengthen federal, state, and local efforts to improve type 2 diabetes treatment and prevention through the development and implementation of strategic law and policy reform initiatives that can bolster these efforts, including state-level research reports.

(*On August 7, 2013, Governor Christie signed An Act Concerning Diabetes and Supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statutes.  The law requires the Department of Health, in collaboration with other government health agencies, to create a "Diabetes Action Plan" for the Governor and legislature. [Source: Munoz bill calling for Diabetes Action Plan signed into law - http://www.nancymunoz.net/page/2/)

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140327/NY92509

SOURCE Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation (CHLPI) of Harvard Law School