TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) Center for Health Equity (CHE) is pursuing “recognition status” by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as a provider of the CDC’s lifestyle intervention program, which focuses on diabetes prevention.
Three researchers in the FAMU CHE – Otis Kirksey, Pharm.D.; Cynthia Seaborn, DrPH; and Fajr Hassan, Pharm.D. – recently completed the required training to become certified to deliver the National Diabetes Prevention Program curriculum. The two-day training was provided by Emory University Rollins School of Public Health.
“The Center for Health Equity’s focus has been on diabetes management and education,” said Kirksey, professor and eminent scholar chair in pharmacy practice. “The recent training we received at Emory University’s School of Public Health will enable us to expand our scope to include a much needed diabetes prevention component for underserved populations in the state.”
The National Diabetes Prevention Program is an evidence-based lifestyle change platform for preventing Type 2 diabetes, built upon a national diabetes prevention research study. This study demonstrated that making modest behavior changes helped participants lose 5 to 7 percent of their body weight, which is 10 to 14 pounds for a 200-pound person. These lifestyle changes reduced the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by 58 percent in people with pre-diabetes.
“I am especially proud of Dr. Kirksey and his staff for the life-changing initiatives they have undertaken at the Center for Health Equity in regards to HIV and diabetes treatment and prevention,” said College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Dean Michael D. Thompson, Pharm.D. “Pursuing CDC recognition is truly consistent with our mission to reduce disparities where minorities are most affected.”
The FAMU CHE will be submitting its application for “recognition” status later this month. Enrollment for the Center’s inaugural class is expected to begin in March 2015. Participants enrolled in the program will work with a lifestyle coach in a group setting to receive a one-year lifestyle change program that includes 16 core sessions (usually one per week) and six post-core sessions (one per month).
For more information regarding the FAMU Center for Health Equity’s Diabetes Prevention Program, please contact Otis Kirksey at (850) 561-2688 or otis.kirksey@famu.edu.
