News

Contacts:

AMGA Foundation:
Lisa Cornbrooks, lcornbrooks@amga.org or 703-838-0033, ext. 385

American College of Physicians:
Steve Majewski, SMajewski@acponline.org or 215-351-2514

April 6, 2016

AMGA Foundation Welcomes American College of Physicians as Supporting Organization on National Effort to Improve Diabetes Care
Together 2 Goal® Aims to Improve the Lives of 1 Million People with Type 2 Diabetes

Alexandria, VA - AMGA Foundation today announced that the American College of Physicians (ACP) is collaborating with them in the Diabetes: Together 2 Goal® campaign to improve care for 1 million people with Type 2 diabetes in the United States by 2019. This three-year initiative will challenge leading healthcare organizations and other stakeholders to work together to transform diabetes care for millions across the country.

Supporting national organizations involved with the Together 2 Goal® campaign will work collaboratively and join forces to raise awareness of Type 2 diabetes, share resources and materials, amplify reach of campaign activities, engage patients and providers, conduct events, and much more.

“Type 2 diabetes is a serious condition that if not controlled can cause vision loss, kidney damage, nerve damage, foot ulcers, heart disease, and possible amputation from infections,” said Tanveer P. Mir, M.D., MACP, Chair, Board of Regents, ACP. “The American College of Physicians is committed to helping internal medicine physicians and other clinicians care for patients with diabetes. We encourage ACP members to utilize our highly-regarded patient-related resources and ACP Quality Connect: The Diabetes Program.”

Other campaign partners and supporting organizations that have joined this effort include: American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, American Association of Diabetes Educators, American Diabetes Association, American Kidney Fund, Behavioral Diabetes Institute, DiabetesSisters, HealthyWomen, and Men’s Health Network.

“The success of Together 2 Goal® requires support and involvement across the entire healthcare industry,” says Donald W. Fisher, Ph.D., CAE, President and Chief Executive Officer of AMGA and Secretary of the Board of AMGA Foundation. “AMGA Foundation truly appreciates the American College of Physicians’ support in working together to improve the lives of people across the nation with Type 2 diabetes.”

To date, over 120 AMGA members have committed to implementing at least one of the “campaign planks” - 11 evidence-based care processes - that will improve the care of people with the condition by empowering patients, improving care delivery, and leveraging information technology. Additionally, campaign participants will report data on a quarterly basis to measure progress towards this goal and utilize the campaign’s resources and tools to achieve this mark.

Together 2 Goal® officially launched on March 12, 2016, with an event featuring world champion boxer Sugar Ray Leonard as the keynote speaker. Representatives from hundreds of AMGA medical groups and health systems from across the country, as well as leading national partners and supporting organizations were in attendance.

Together 2 Goal® is the second three-year campaign launched as part of the AMGA Foundation’s Chronic Care Challenge. More information about Together 2 Goal® is available at www.together2goal.org.

About the American College of Physicians
The American College of Physicians is the largest medical specialty organization and the second-largest physician group in the United States. ACP members include 143,000 internal medicine physicians (internists), related subspecialists, and medical students. Internal medicine physicians are specialists who apply scientific knowledge and clinical expertise to the diagnosis, treatment, and compassionate care of adults across the spectrum from health to complex illness. Follow ACP on Twitter and Facebook.

About the Together 2 Goal® Campaign
The AMGA Foundation, the nonprofit arm of the AMGA, launched Together 2 Goal®, a three-year national campaign to fight the challenge of Type 2 diabetes on March 12, 2016. Together 2 Goal® includes over 120 medical groups, health systems, non-profit partners, and corporate collaborators such as the American Diabetes Association, American Association of Diabetes Educators, Novo Nordisk, Inc., Geisinger Health System, Henry Ford Health System, Intermountain Healthcare, and Ochsner Health System. The goal of the three-year campaign is to improve care for 1 million people with Type 2 diabetes by 2019. www.Together2Goal.org

About AMGA Foundation
The AMGA Foundation is AMGA’s nonprofit arm that enables medical groups and other organized systems of care to consistently improve health and health care. The AMGA Foundation serves as a catalyst, connector and collaborator for translating the evidence of what works best in improving health and health care in everyday practice. www.amga.org/foundation

About AMGA
AMGA is a 501(c)(6) trade association representing medical groups, health systems, and other organized systems of care, including some of the nation's largest, most prestigious integrated delivery systems. AMGA is a leading voice in advocating for efficient, team-based, and accountable care. AMGA members encompass all models of organized systems of care in the healthcare industry, including: physician-owned, independent group practices, integrated delivery systems, hospital-affiliated medical groups, independent practice associations (IPAs), academic and faculty practices, accountable care organizations, and high-performing health systems. Approximately 177,000 physicians practice in AMGA member organizations, providing healthcare services for 133 million patients (approximately one in three Americans). Headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, AMGA is the strategic partner for these organizations, providing a comprehensive package of benefits, including political advocacy, educational and networking programs, publications, benchmarking data services, and financial and operations assistance. www.amga.org