We want your feedback! Campaign primary and quality contacts should have received an email with a link to our campaign extension year 1 survey. This brief survey (only 5 questions) will take no more than a few minutes to complete and will provide valuable insights to our team. Share input on your organizational priorities, interest in potential topics for future campaigns, and help us create programming that is relevant to you! Participate before the survey closes on Oct. 17. If you are a primary or quality contact for your organization and did not receive an email with the survey link, let us know. We appreciate your time and feedback!

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The Acclaim Award, supported by AMGA Foundation, rewards the nation’s premier high-performing healthcare delivery organizations that are bringing their organization closer to the ideal delivery model―one that is measurably improving the quality and value of care, patient experience and outcomes, and population health while continuously learning and innovating. The Acclaim Award application process has proven to be a valuable learning experience for medical groups on their journey to improve the quality and efficiency of healthcare delivery. Applications are due on Friday, Oct. 18.

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We are pleased to share that our very own John Cuddeback, M.D., Ph.D., chief medical informatics officer at AMGA, was featured in On Call, a podcast that highlights insights and innovations that drive change in the healthcare industry. In this episode, Dr. Cuddeback describes the creation of a predictive data model for pre-diabetes management and how similar models can be used in electronic health records at the point of care.

Learn More

We are thrilled to welcome the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) as our newest campaign partner. NKF is the leading organization in the U.S. dedicated to the awareness, prevention, and treatment of kidney disease. They provide resources for both consumers and healthcare professionals, focusing on the whole patient through the lens of kidney health. They work to enhance lives through action, education, and accelerating change. Join us in giving them a warm welcome!

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Last month, T2G was featured in an American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) blog post, titled “Sharing Success Stories: 5 Strategies for Increasing DSMES Referrals.” Written by one of our campaign participants, Sutter Health’s Valerie Spier, M.P.H., RDE, CDE, the post highlights best practices gleaned from implementing the “Refer to DSME & Support Programs” plank at her organization. Now in its third year, their referral program is making an impact, resulting in an overall increase in referrals to their SHIDEN Diabetes Education Program by more than 6% last year. Check out the rest of the blog post to learn about their accomplishments.

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AMGA Analytics will be presenting three posters on campaign-related research at the ADA 79th Scientific Sessions!  The first evaluates the follow-up and treatment for patients newly diagnosed with diabetes. The second considers the impact of the 2019 guidelines, particularly on the use of SGLT2i and GLP‐1 RA in patients with diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The third focuses on improving diabetes prevention through individualized risk estimates. If you are planning to attend the Scientific Sessions, be sure to check out these posters!

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The Janssen Pharmaceuticals Companies of Johnson & Johnson has been involved with the campaign since the launch and has now come on board as the new Presenting Corporate Collaborator for the extension. Thanks to their support, we will be able to provide new and enhanced resources and support to drive diabetes improvement over the course of the next two years.

Learn more about all of our corporate collaborators.

There is a paucity of cardiovascular health subgroup data for our minority patients and this likely contributes to the disparities in outcomes. The National Minority Cardiovascular (NMC) Alliance and its partners are working diligently to fill that data gap through the dissemination of a confidential Patient Experience Survey and a companion Provider Survey. The provider survey is designed to collect information on what healthcare professionals perceive as the challenges confronting minority cardiovascular patients. All eligible providers who complete this 10-minute survey will receive a $15 Amazon gift card.

Take the survey here.

We are excited to welcome The National Minority Cardiovascular (NMC) Alliance as our newest campaign partner. The NMC Alliance provides a central space for diverse groups to pursue meaningful dialogue and solutions related to cardiovascular disease disparities facing people in minority populations. Their goal is to strengthen their constituents through shared purpose, increased capacity, and expanded resources. You can learn more by visiting their website. Join us in giving them a warm welcome!

Thank you to everyone who joined Together 2 Goal® on November 8 for our annual National Day of Action! On this day, we encouraged T2G participants to assemble their diabetes teams for a T2G Talk & Taste event where they discussed diabetes improvement over a healthy meal. We are pleased to share that more than 200 healthcare professionals from nearly 30 groups came together to take action this year! Check out the Wrap Report to learn more.

We are excited to welcome Mallory Temple as the coordinator for the National Health Campaigns Team! Mallory double-majored in economics and public health at Oregon State University and spent the last year working at The Coordinating Center, helping individuals with disabilities and complex healthcare needs. Mallory will be supporting the T2G webinar series, Innovator Track, and more, so join us in welcoming her to the T2G team!

AMGA Foundation is pleased to announce a call to participate in the Together 2 Goal®(T2G) Diabetes Bundle Best Practices Learning Collaborative. This supplemental, intensive learning collaborative will provide additional resources to AMGA members who are enrolled in the Together 2 Goal® campaign.

This Collaborative is an expansion of AMGA’s recent six-month pilot initiative to improve the diabetes bundle measure. In the pilot, the rate of improvement for the bundle measure among the pilot groups was twice that of other groups participating in T2G. Through the Collaborative, organizations that want to improve their diabetes bundle performance have the opportunity to team with other AMGA organizations participating in T2G who are also highly motivated and have the need to improve.

Learn more and apply to participate by visiting the T2G Bundle Collaborative website.

Join us at the Together 2 Goal® session taking place at AMGA’s Institute for Quality Leadership (IQL18). Hear from groups in the Innovator Track Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Cohort to discover best practices for managing CVD for seniors with Type 2 diabetes.

Session Title: Taking Diabetes to Heart: Finding Value in the Medicare Population
Time: Wednesday, November 14, 1:45 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.

Speakers:

• Parag Agnihotri, M.D., Medical Director, Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Group
• Jeffrey Galles, D.O., Chief Medical Officer, Utica Park Clinic (aka AHS Oklahoma Physician Group)
• Carolyn (Carrie) Koenig, M.D., Medical Chair of the Quality Department, Mercy Clinic – East Communities
• Moderator: John W. Kennedy, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, AMGA; President, AMGA Foundation

Description:
A quarter of Americans over the age of 65 have diabetes; that’s 12 million seniors who are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Join leading medical groups and health systems participating in the Innovator Track CVD Cohort of AMGA Foundation’s Together 2 Goal® campaign to discover best practices for managing CVD for seniors with Type 2 diabetes. The panel will share proven strategies to reach medication adherence rates of 90%, leverage CVD risk tools, and promote smoking cessation for the Medicare population living with diabetes.

Session Objectives:

• Explain the ADA Standards of Care as they relate to identification and management of CVD risk among older patients with diabetes
• Identify specific tactics that healthcare delivery systems can implement to improve outcome measures in older patients with diabetes
• Describe novel ways to engage the entire care team (including patients) in improving the health of older patients with diabetes
• Detail the advantages of engaging in a national peer-led campaign to improve diabetes care

Register by October 26 to take advantage of the advance rate. We hope to see you there!

Join us at the Together 2 Goal® session taking place at AMGA’s Institute for Quality Leadership (IQL18).Hear from groups in the Innovator Track Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Cohort to discover best practices for managing CVD for seniors with Type 2 diabetes.

Session Title: Taking Diabetes to Heart: Finding Value in the Medicare Population
Time: Wednesday, November 14, 1:45 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.

Speakers:

• Parag Agnihotri, M.D., Medical Director, Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Group
• Jeffrey Galles, D.O., Chief Medical Officer, Utica Park Clinic (aka AHS Oklahoma Physician Group)
• Carolyn (“Carrie”) Koenig, M.D., Medical Chair of the Quality Department, Mercy Clinic – East Communities
• Moderator: John W. Kennedy, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, AMGA; President, AMGA Foundation

Description:
A quarter of Americans over the age of 65 have diabetes; that’s 12 million seniors who are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Join leading medical groups and health systems participating in the Innovator Track Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Cohort of AMGA Foundation’s Together 2 Goal® campaign to discover best practices for managing CVD for seniors with Type 2 diabetes. The panel will share proven strategies to reach medication adherence rates of 90%, leverage CVD risk tools, and promote smoking cessation for the Medicare population living with diabetes.

Session Objectives:

• Explain the ADA Standards of Care as they relate to identification and management of CVD risk among older patients with diabetes
• Identify specific tactics that healthcare delivery systems can implement to improve outcome measures in older patients with diabetes
• Describe novel ways to engage the entire care team (including patients) in improving the health of older patients with diabetes
• Detail the advantages of engaging in a national peer-led campaign to improve diabetes care

Register by September 28 to take advantage of the lowest early-bird rate. We hope to see you there!

Last month, representatives from 10 Together 2 Goal® participating organizations met in Nashville to launch the Eye Care Cohort of the Innovator Track. Participants had a lively discussion about tactics to improve frequency and documentation of retinal scans for patients with diabetes. They also developed action plans, which they will implement in their home organizations over the course of the yearlong initiative.

Be recognized for your quality improvement work and apply for the Acclaim Award. Supported by AMGA Foundation, the Acclaim Award rewards the nation’s premier healthcare delivery organizations that are high performing and that are bringing their organization closer to the ideal delivery model. Applications are due September 21.

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Billings Clinic implemented a highly successful telehealth diabetes prevention program (DPP) for rural Montanans. Their research demonstrated that telehealth-delivered DPP was just as effective as an identical face-to-face program.

AMGA’s Elizabeth Ciemins, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.A., and her former colleagues from Billings Clinic recently published their research in BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care.

Read the Article

Our social media accounts have moved! Together 2 Goal® is now distributing our campaign content via the larger AMGA Facebook and Twitter accounts. Be sure to follow us to get all the latest Together 2 Goal® campaign news and information. And don’t forget to tag us @theAMGA to share your Together 2 Goal® updates!

Congratulations to Ballad Health, (formerly Wellmont Medical Associates), who is the Together 2 Goal® campaign’s latest Goal Getter. Learn how transparent internal reporting led to a dramatic increase in their bundle performance.

Have you exemplified leadership in improving diabetes care? Has your organization displayed a commitment to the Together 2 Goal® campaign goal, driving measureable results among patients with Type 2 diabetes? If the answers are yes, your organization is what we call a Goal-Getter and we want to hear from you.

Whether it’s a new care process, improved staff education, or use of an innovative technology that addressed a challenge and improved diabetes care at your organization, tell us your story by completing the form available here. We’ve included a number of exploratory questions to help you along the way.

A representative from the campaign will contact you regarding the draft you submitted and work with you to finalize your Goal-Getter entry, providing limited writing support as needed. Note that copy may be edited for clarity and length. If you have any questions, please contact your Regional Liaison or together2goal@amga.org.

Mark your calendar for AMGA’s Institute for Quality Leadership (IQL), taking place November 13-15, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas. IQL will focus on strategies for succeeding in risk-based payment models, including Medicare Advantage. If your group has a groundbreaking strategy, innovative partnership, or thought-provoking case study related to your experience with taking on risk, we invite you to submit a proposal for consideration to be included on the agenda. This is a great opportunity to present the success you’ve had with Together 2 Goal® or other quality improvement projects.

To secure your spot, please review the information in our Call for Presentations and submit your proposal by Friday, March 30, 2018.

Learn more here.

We have a new leader! John W. Kennedy, M.D., has joined us as president of AMGA Foundation and chief medical officer of AMGA. Dr. Kennedy previously served as division director of endocrinology at Geisinger, where he led the clinical, education, research, and quality program development and expansion for the health system.

You may recognize Dr. Kennedy from his previous involvement with Together 2 Goal®. He has served on the campaign’s National Advisory Committee, shared best practices on a campaign webinar in 2016, and presented at the Diabetes Symposium in Indianapolis.

Learn more here.

We are excited to share our 2018 webinar calendar with you! This year’s webinars focus on innovative best practices and hot topics in diabetes. As in previous years, we will continue to host our hour-long monthly webinars on the third Thursday of the month at 2-3 p.m. Eastern.

Also, be sure to register for the January webinar, which will focus on the American Diabetes Association's 2018 Standards of Care and the notable new recommendations for people with cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Congratulations to the four AMGA members who were honored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as Million Hearts® 2017 Hypertension Control Champions: New West Physicians, OhioHealth Primary Care Physicians, Sanford Health Clinics, and Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Group. We are proud of their efforts to bring more than 70% of their patients under blood pressure control, an achievement that is key to improving diabetes management.

Learn about the Million Hearts® initiative to save 1 million lives in 5 years on their website.

Learn six tips to fine-tune your diabetes office visits with our new video. We designed this video specifically for healthcare providers like you who see the 28 million Americans living with Type 2 diabetes in your offices every day.

Here is a preview of the six tips that the video offers to help fine-tune your diabetes office visits:

1. Order labs in advance

2. Remind patients to bring their blood sugar logs to the visit

3. Use language that engages the patient

4. Screen for depression

5. Collaborate on “S.M.A.R.T.” goals

6. Schedule a follow-up

We encourage you to implement at least one of these tips during your next visit with your patient and hope this will make a difference in serving your population with diabetes.

You can also download the accompanying fact sheet and share this with your colleagues.

AMGA’s Board of Directors has appointed Jerry Penso, M.D., M.B.A., to the position of president and chief executive officer, effective October 16, 2017. Dr. Penso currently serves as president of AMGA Foundation, and chief medical and quality officer, AMGA.

“Health care in America is experiencing great change, and Jerry’s ability to advocate, innovate, energize, and collaborate will fuel AMGA’s and our members’ future success,” said Donn E. Sorensen, executive vice president of operations, Mercy, and AMGA board chair. “Jerry was chosen in a competitive selection process from a strong pool of candidates. His track record in extensively growing AMGA quality programs and his ability to provide physician leadership and continuity while having a strategy to foster innovation are among the many attributes that set him apart. He’s the right individual to guide AMGA as it begins a new chapter.”

Prior to joining AMGA, Dr. Penso served as medical director, continuum of care for Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Group (SRSMG), the largest integrated healthcare delivery system in San Diego. During his tenure, SRSMG was recognized as a top performer in California's Pay for Performance Program for five consecutive years with outstanding results in clinical quality, patient experience, and use of information technology. SRSMG is a 2007 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award recipient and 2010 Acclaim Award Honoree. The Acclaim Award is AMGA’s highest honor.   

Dr. Penso replaces Donald W. Fisher, Ph.D., CAE, who passed away in March 2017 and served as AMGA president and CEO for more than 35 years. Ryan O’Connor, M.B.A., CAE, AMGA’s vice president, membership and marketing, has served as interim president and CEO since June 2017.

Together 2 Goal® welcomes Carolyn McPhee to the team as Foundation Coordinator, a position previously held by Leslie Ayuk-Takor. In this role, she will support both the Together 2 Goal® team and the Foundation’s development team.

Carolyn received her B.S. in biology from Bucknell University and, following her passion for public health, recently earned her M.P.H. from UMass Amherst. She brings a host of relevant experience, from coordinating community outreach events, to serving as a wellness champion at a local YMCA, to supporting the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition’s #0to60 campaign.

You can reach Carolyn at cmcphee@amga.org.

Do you follow Together 2 Goal® on social media? We recently refocused our Facebook and Twitter accounts to feature content more relevant to you—our providers.

We will now be sharing news and research in the diabetes industry, best practices from other participating members, tools and resources from our partners to help your organization get to goal, and relevant campaign updates.

Check out our Twitter and Facebook pages and follow us today.

The Baton Rouge Clinic is the Together 2 Goal® campaign’s latest Goal-Getter. As a part of their involvement with the campaign, Baton Rouge identified a major gap in capturing eye exams in its electronic health record (EHR) for patients with Type 2 diabetes. With “Head Coach” Harold D. Brandt, M.D., FACP, at the helm, the organization successfully increased the number of patients with diabetes with evidence of eye exams by nearly 40% over a five-year period. Their “game plan” is available on the Together 2 Goal® website.

Our other Goal-Getters - Geisinger Health System and Premier Medical Associates - are available for download here. You can learn about the strategies and tactics to overcome barriers to diabetes management, as well as access contact information for the "head coach" should you have additional questions. Check back periodically for additional Goal-Getters.

Are you interested in becoming a Goal-Getter? If you've motivated patients, changed a care process, or leveraged IT by implementing one of the campaign planks to improve diabetes care at your organization, tell us your story by completing the form available here. We've included a number of exploratory questions to help you along the way.

Together 2 Goal® welcomes Anne Keeney to the team as manager, national health campaigns, a position formerly held by Shannon Walsh. Anne previously served as a Development Manager for AMGA Foundation and is already familiar with the campaign’s goals, activities, and participants.

In this role, she will work on the campaign’s communication and programmatic efforts—including materials development, media outreach, event and conference support, partnership engagement, and more to support participants in achieving their goals of better diabetes management for patients. She also will serve as the new primary contact for all participating groups in the Central Region. You can reach her at akeeney@amga.org.

Before joining AMGA, Anne worked on several multimillion-dollar fundraising initiatives supporting healthcare, international development, education, and veterans nonprofits. She is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Public Relations at Georgetown University.

Have you exemplified leadership in improving diabetes care? Has your organization displayed a commitment to the Together 2 Goal® campaign goal, driving measureable results among patients with Type 2 diabetes? If the answers are yes, your organization is what we call a Goal-Getter!

And in the Together 2 Goal® campaign, we recognize our Goal-Getters. We share their successes—to not only celebrate them, but also to help spread best practices and lessons learned in diabetes management, empowering others across the country to tackle similar challenges and improve diabetes care.

If your organization is a Goal-Getter, we want to hear from you. Whether it’s a new care process, improved staff education, or use of an innovative technology that addressed a challenge and improved diabetes care at your organization, tell us your story by completing the form available here. We’ve included a number of exploratory questions to help you along the way. You also can view a story from a fellow Goal-Getter, Premier Medical Associates, here.

A representative from the campaign will contact you regarding the draft you submitted and work with you to finalize your Goal-Getter entry, providing limited writing support as needed. Note that copy may be edited for clarity and length. If you have any questions, please contact your Regional Liaison or together2goal@amga.org.

It is with deep sadness that AMGA announces the passing of Donald W. Fisher, Ph.D., CAE. He had a tremendous impact on American health care as a strong advocate for coordinated, integrated delivery systems, working to make his vision of superior patient care a reality.

During his tenure, Dr. Fisher was instrumental in launching AMGA Foundation’s national health campaigns – including Together 2 Goal® – a long-term effort to improve quality of care and patient outcomes for chronic conditions with the greatest impact. He also played a pivotal role in steering AMGA Foundation to focus on outcomes and initiated AMGA Analytics, the trade association’s data analysis and clinical translation arm, which measures the Foundation’s impact and informs the Foundation’s quality improvement efforts.

He also served as Secretary of the AMGA Foundation Board of Directors. Dr. Fisher was honored with AMGA Foundation’s Lifetime Achievement Award at its 50th Anniversary Gala in 2017.

• Press Release

• In Memoriam

As we celebrate the Together 2 Goal® campaign’s one-year anniversary since the launch, we also celebrate all participating AMGA members working to advance diabetes management in their organizations.

Together 2 Goal® Measure Leaders
All medical groups and health systems participating in Together 2 Goal® commit to reporting diabetes prevalence and control rates in their patient populations on a quarterly basis as part of joining the campaign.

We commend the following organizations whose Q3 2016 data ranks in the 90th percentile of participants for their performance in the Together 2 Goal® bundle, A1c control, blood pressure control, lipid management, and/or medical attention to nephropathy:

• Aurora Health Care

• Baton Rouge Clinic

• Central Virginia Family Physicians

• Coastal Carolina Health Care, PA

• Columbia St. Mary’s Physicians – Ascension Health

• Excela Health Medical Group

• Geisinger Health System

• Harbin Clinic, LLC

• Hattiesburg Clinic, P.A.

• Mountain View Medical Group, P.C.

• Olmsted Medical Center

• Premier Medical Associates, P.C.

• PriMed Physicians

• ProHealth (NY)

• ProHealth Physicians, Inc.

• Scripps Medical Foundation

• Sharp Community Medical Group

• Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Group, Inc.

• The Polyclinic

• ThedaCare Physicians

• University of Michigan Medical Group

• USMD Health System

• Wellmont Medical Associates

• WESTMED Medical Group, P.C.

Please note: Self-reported data may include some anomalies. We will continue to work with groups and systems to ensure we are representing your performance accurately.

Throughout the year, we’ll be highlighting many of these groups’ best practices and lessons learned through our monthly webinars, Goal-Getter series, conferences, and more. We hope to include your medical group or health system on this list next year as you continue to advance diabetes management in your own organization!

If your organization would like coaching or technical assistance from Together 2 Goal®, please email together2goal@amga.org.

C.O.R.E. Program Selections
Thank you to the organizations that applied to participate in the C.O.R.E. Program – a hands-on, interactive, in-person training approach for providers to improve diabetes care for their patients – offered by Principal Corporate Collaborator Johnson & Johnson Healthcare Systems. We are pleased to announce the selections for 2017:

• Mercy East Communities

• Mercy Medical Group/Dignity Health

• Norton Medical Group

The program will be offered to Together 2 Goal® participants at no cost in 2018 and beyond (selection is based on application process). Stay tuned for the next application cycle!

2017 AMGA Foundation Stars
During the AMGA 2017 Annual Conference in Dallas in March, AMGA Foundation will award 21 member organizations the 2017 Foundation Star Award. Award recipients are recognized for their participation in the Foundation’s:

• Acclaim Award (applicant, honoree, or recipient)

• Best Practices Learning Collaboratives (participant in one or more)

• National Health Campaigns (participant in Measure Up/Pressure Down® and/or Together 2 Goal®)

• Charitable giving (donation to AMGA Foundation)

Congratulations to the 2017 Foundation Star Award recipients, all of which are active in Together 2 Goal®:

• Advocate Medical Group

• Carle Physician Group

• Cleveland Clinic

• Crystal Run Healthcare

• Kelsey-Seybold Clinic

• Mercy

• Mercy Medical Group (CA)

• Ochsner Health System

• Park Nicollet HealthPartners Care Group

• Premier Medical Associates, P.C.

• Prevea Health

• Riverside Medical Group

• Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Group

• Summit Medical Group, P.A.

• Sutter Medical Foundation

• The Iowa Clinic

• UPMC Susquehanna Health Medical Group

• USMD Health System

• Wake Forest Baptist Health (formerly Cornerstone Health Care)

• WESTMED Medical Group

• Wilmington Health

We’re pleased to announce that the Together 2 Goal® Diabetes Symposium, in collaboration with the American Diabetes Association, will be held September 12-13 in Indianapolis. The in-person meeting will focus on how medical groups and health systems can advance the management of people with Type 2 diabetes by implementing evidence-based care processes. Peer-to-peer learning and networking opportunities will be highlights of the symposium.

The Together 2 Goal® Diabetes Symposium will occur in conjunction with the Chronic Care Roundtable (September 11-12), AMGA Analytics’ Analytics for Improvement (A4i) Learning Collaborative meeting (September 12-13), and AMGA’s Chief Medical Officer/Medical Director, Chief Nursing Officer, and Quality Leadership Council meetings (September 13-15). Please note these additional meetings are open to AMGA members and invited guests only.

The Together 2 Goal® Diabetes Symposium is open to all AMGA members, including Together 2 Goal® Primary and Quality contacts, as well as members of the Chief Medical Officer/Medical Director, Chief Nursing Officer, and Quality Leadership Councils, and the A4i Learning Collaborative participants.

Other attendees may include ACO Directors; Care Coordinators; Care Managers; Chief Medical Officers; Chief Nursing Officers; Chief Operations Officers; Chief Quality Officers; Clinical Quality Coordinators; Diabetes Physician Champions; Diabetes Program Coordinators; Endocrinologists; Managers and Directors of Care Innovation, Population Health, Quality Improvement, and Clinical Quality Programs; Medical Directors; and Quality Committee Chairs.

Mark your calendar and stay tuned for information about the symposium agenda, speakers, registration, and accommodations!

Together 2 Goal® will continue its monthly webinar series in 2017! The schedule, including topics and confirmed speakers, is available below and will be updated as additional webinars are finalized.

All campaign webinars will be recorded. Archives for past webinars are available here.

Registration details will be sent to participating Together 2 Goal® medical groups and health systems, nonprofit partners and supporting organizations, and corporate collaborators on a monthly basis. For questions, please contact Shannon Walsh.

The American Diabetes Association, a Together 2 Goal® campaign partner, will release its updated Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes later this month.

To support campaign participants, Together 2 Goal® will offer a bonus webinar that will focus on updates to the Standards of Care on Wednesday, January 11, 2017, 12-1 pm Eastern. William Herman, M.D., M.P.H., co-chair of ADA’s Professional Practice Committee, will be the featured speaker.

Register here for the bonus webinar on January 11! If you are not able to attend the webinar, we will disseminate a recording after the event.

Stay tuned for the unveiling of the 2017 monthly webinar schedule – including topics and speakers – in the January edition of the Goal Post!

We encourage Together 2 Goal® participants to register for and attend AMGA’s upcoming Institute for Quality Leadership (IQL) focused on “Succeeding Under MACRA and Risk-Based Payment” in San Francisco. A number of diabetes-related activities are incorporated into the agenda. Be sure to book your travel around these educational and networking opportunities!

• Monday, November 14: Together 2 Goal® Pre-Conference Session (1-5 pm Pacific)
  Participate in a unique preview of Principal Corporate Collaborator Johnson & Johnson Healthcare Systems’ CORE Program—a hands-on, interactive, in-person training approach for providers to improve diabetes care for their patients—during this pre-conference session. The CORE Program also will be highlighted during a peer-to-peer breakout session on Wednesday. The program will be offered to Together 2 Goal® participants at no cost in 2017 and beyond (selection is based on application process). Space is limited, so RSVP as soon as possible! The first 25 individuals to register for this complimentary pre-conference session will receive an honorarium.
  To register, please RSVP here. No cost.

• Tuesday, November 15: AMGA Quality Improvement Leadership Council Meeting (8am-4pm Pacific)
  Learn how two Together 2 Goal® participants are implementing the campaign in their organizations. Dr. Frank Colangelo of Premier Medical Associates, P.C. will share information about assessing and addressing the risk of cardiovascular disease, while Dr. Rae Ann Williams at Park Nicollett HealthPartners Care Group will discuss their team-based approach to diabetes care.
  To join the Council and/or register for the meeting, please contact Joe DeLisle at jdelisle@amga.org. Cost: $275 for AMGA members.

• Wednesday, November 16: Together 2 Goal® Peer-to-Peer Breakout Session (3:45-5pm Pacific)
  Attend the “New Approach to Improving Diabetes Care with In-Person Professional Education Training Model” breakout session to discover an innovative program designed to improve practitioners’ knowledge and skills related to their diabetes practice. Together 2 Goal® participating organization Sentara Medical Group and Principal Corporate Collaborator Johnson & Johnson Healthcare Systems will share how the CORE Program is designed to shift the focus from an acute care/provider-centric model to a chronic care/patient-centric one. Attendees can earn continuing education credit for this and other peer-to-peer breakout sessions at IQL. Select components of the CORE Program will also be previewed during the pre-conference session on Monday. The CORE Program will be offered to Together 2 Goal® participants at no cost in 2017 and beyond (selection is based on application process).
  To register for IQL (registration includes access to all general and peer-to-peer breakout sessions), please click here. Cost: $1,025.

Together 2 Goal® will host its first annual National Day of Action on Thursday, November 3, 2016. Learn how your “actions” can empower the nation to better manage diabetes by visiting our National Day of Action landing page here.

Together 2 Goal® Travels to San Diego for 2016 AADE Meeting
Earlier this summer, Together 2 Goal® staff traveled to the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) annual meeting in sunny San Diego, CA. AADE is one of nine campaign partners we work with to develop resources, engage patients and providers, support local and national events, and more.

Highlights from the meeting included:

Together 2 Goal® Booth
Throughout the meeting, diabetes educators―including registered nurses, nurse practitioners, registered dietitians, and pharmacists―visited our booth in the exhibit hall to learn more about the Together 2 Goal® campaign and how to get involved. Campaign staff were on hand to explain the campaign planks and measurement component, highlight the launch event and National Day of Action, and distribute free campaign resources.

To encourage attendees to stop by our booth, we also hosted a giveaway of a boxing glove signed by world champion Sugar Ray Leonard, who keynoted the Together 2 Goal® premiere event in March 2016 in Orlando, FL. Congratulations to the winner of the drawing: Julie Shapero, RDN, LD, LDE, from the Northern Kentucky Health Department!

A special thanks to the many participating organizations, non-profit partners, and corporate collaborators who stopped by our booth in San Diego to show their support!

Industry Allies Council Presentation
AADE also featured Together 2 Goal® on its agenda for the Industry Allies Council (IAC) meeting during the conference. Together 2 Goal® campaign staff provided an overview of the campaign―including its planning, implementation, and evaluation components―as well as shared baseline data results and learnings from a recent survey of participating groups regarding campaign plank implementation, successes, and challenges.

Deborah Greenwood, Ph.D., R.N., BC-ADM, CDE, FAACE, immediate past president of the AADE Board of Directors and program director for Sutter Health’s Integrated Diabetes Education Network, spoke about the benefits of the Together 2 Goal® campaign from the perspective of both AADE and Sutter Health.

Members of the IAC include four Together 2 Goal® Corporate Collaborators: Presenting Corporate Collaborator Novo Nordisk, Principal Corporate Collaborator Johnson & Johnson Healthcare Systems, Inc., and Contributing Corporate Collaborators Merck and Sanofi.

AADE’s IAC aims to:

• Create dialogue between AADE leadership, industry partners, and the diabetes educator community.

• Increase visibility of IAC members with AADE membership.

• Provide IAC members with an understanding of critical trends and issues affecting diabetes educators and their patients.

• Adhere to the principles and support Office of Inspector General (OIG) guidance regarding industry relations with healthcare professionals and their societies.

We extend our gratitude to AADE for inviting us to present during this meeting!

In July 2016, the Together 2 Goal® campaign released the baseline data results based on data submitted from participating groups.

All participating campaign groups received an email with their organization’s identification code to allow for blinded feedback and comparison to other participants. Based on your assigned group code, you can see your organization’s baseline performance summary.

Measurement Period (Q1 2016): April 1, 2015 – March 31, 2016

• Average Prevalence Rate (Q1 2016):  14.0 %

• Average HbA1c Control Rate (<8%):  66.1 %

• Average Blood Pressure Control Rate (<140/90):  67.2 %

• Average Medical Attention for Nephropathy:  84.0 %

• Average Lipid Management:  65.7 %

• Average Bundle Measure Control:  30.2 %

Please contact DataHelpForT2G@amga.org with any questions about this information.

Explore the Emotional Side of Diabetes with the Behavioral Diabetes Institute

A critical component of managing and treating people with Type 2 diabetes is emotional and behavioral support, addressing patient motivation as well as diabetes-related distress. With good care, people with diabetes can live long, healthy lives. Yet, many struggle with managing their diabetes and can become overwhelmed by the often burdensome self-care demands, potentially leading to anger, guilt, depression, fear, or feelings of hopelessness.

This reality highlights the importance of integrating psychosocial support with clinical care - an approach that has been welcomed by many of the medical groups and health systems participating in Together 2 Goal®. In fact, recent survey results show that 20% of participating organizations plan to implement the “Integrate Emotional and Behavioral Support” plank at select sites, while 17% expect to adopt the plank at the system level. [Note: Comprehensive survey results will be shared during the August 18 monthly campaign webinar]

Together 2 Goal® has received positive comments about the Emotional Side of Diabetes: 10 Things You Need to Know booklet included in the Campaign Toolkit and referenced as a Quick Win for the “Integrate Emotional & Behavioral Support” campaign plank.

This resource was developed by the Behavioral Diabetes Institute (BDI), a campaign non-profit partner and the world’s first organization to tackle the unmet psychological needs of people with diabetes. William Polonsky, Ph.D., CDE, CEO and co-founder of BDI, also serves on the Together 2 Goal® National Advisory Committee. In this role, Dr. Polonsky will present on the January 19, 2017 monthly campaign webinar.

BDI, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located in San Diego, California, focuses on addressing the social, emotional, and psychological barriers to living a long and healthy life with diabetes. To better understand and overcome these obstacles, BDI is actively engaged in research examining the psychological aspects of diabetes and evaluating innovative behavioral interventions. In addition, BDI directly offers an array of unique, behaviorally-oriented products and services for: people with Type 1 diabetes; people with Type 2 diabetes; parents of children and teens with diabetes; spouses and partners of people with diabetes; and interested healthcare professionals. Products and services include print materials; online courses and modules, face-to-face workshops and seminars, professional training programs, and an online library of resources.

We encourage our participating AMGA members, partners, and corporate collaborators to explore BDI’s programs, products, and resources, available at: http://behavioraldiabetes.org/.

Henry Ford Health System Plans for Together 2 Goal® Campaign

“All for You” is more than a motto used by Henry Ford Health System (HFHS) – it’s a pledge and promise to continue to treat patients as individuals, to help and support them on their unique journey to better health by enhancing the Henry Ford care experience that is rooted in compassion and empathy. This commitment extends to its quality improvement and performance excellence efforts, which earned HFHS the 2011 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.

In their quest to continue improving health, improving patient experience, and reducing cost, HFHS has joined both of AMGA Foundation’s national health campaigns―Measure Up/Pressure Down® (which concluded in 2015) and the current Diabetes: Together 2 Goal® initiative.

Not surprisingly, the goals of “All for You” and “Together 2 Goal®” strike similar sentiments. Together 2 Goal® communicates the essence of the campaign, which is collaboration between patients, providers, and the entire care team to improve outcomes for individuals with Type 2 diabetes. Like “All for You,” the name of the campaign is a call to action to get to goal, inspiring providers to reach their organizations’ goals for managing diabetes; patients to reach their individual goals for managing their conditions; and all stakeholders to work together to reach the campaign goal of improving care for 1 million people with Type 2 diabetes.

To assist in planning for Together 2 Goal® campaign implementation, HFHS:

Created Transition Plan from Measure Up/Pressure Down® to Together 2 Goal®
As an active participant in the national Measure Up/Pressure Down® hypertension campaign, HFHS developed a transition plan to ensure blood pressure management efforts continue to advance. Regional Nurse Managers and Clinic Nurse Managers will be responsible for specified implementation, maintenance, and follow-up activities of support staff. Additionally, physician leadership will promote provider engagement, including adoption of treatment algorithm, referral to support staff for blood pressure rechecks and nurse blood pressure medication titration protocol, and implementation of specialty workflow plan.

Inventoried Readiness for Campaign from Health System Approach
To understand how prepared the Detroit-based organization is for successful campaign implementation, HFHS reviewed their population-level data and conducted an inventory of existing and planned diabetes management resources for each of the 11 campaign planks. The data review provided a glimpse at areas for potential risk stratification, while the inventory included what resources already exist, current utilization, and more.

For instance, HFHS noted that for the “Refer to Diabetes Self-Management Education (DSME) and Support Programs” plank, they already integrate Diabetes Care Centers into primary care and offer accredited DSME programs at eight sites, along with empowerment/support groups. Moving forward, HFHS hopes to expand plank-related activities by creating “First Step” packets in PDF format for education, spreading self-management skills in ambulatory nursing, and utilizing community health workers for special populations.

With regards to the “Build an Accountable Diabetes Team” plank, HFHS’ inventory confirmed they have a Steering Committee in place to oversee its diabetes management efforts and be accountable for overall performance and achievement of goals. Importantly, the Steering Committee includes multi-disciplinary participants who will address the many aspects of diabetes care. In addition to the Committee, four different workgroups provide input: primary care algorithm workgroup, road map workgroup, messaging workgroup, and self-management workgroup.

As the experience at HFHS shows, no matter where you are on your journey, Together 2 Goal® provides a tailored pathway for diabetes improvement. If you’re not sure where to get started in your campaign planning, we encourage you to review the Checklist and Quick Wins in the Getting Started section of our Together 2 Goal® Campaign Toolkit.

Together 2 Goal® extends its thanks to HFHS and Henry Ford Medical Group (HFMG) leaders who supported the campaign planning, including Deloris Ann Berrien-Jones, M.D., FACP (Internal Medicine, HFMG; Physician Champion, Diabetes Initiative, HFHS) who serves on the Together 2 Goal® National Advisory Committee, Scientific Advisory Committee, and Campaign Toolkit Workgroup, and to Roberta Eis, R.N., B.S.N., M.B.A. (Manager, HFMG – Primary Care) who serves on the Together 2 Goal® Campaign Toolkit Workgroup. Pam Milan, M.B.A., R.D., C.D.E. (Diabetes Care Center Manager – Population Health Management) supports Together 2 Goal® campaign implementation alongside Dr. Berrien-Jones, Roberta Eis, and other team members.

AMGA Foundation Successfully Launches Second Chronic Care Challenge Campaign
Diabetes: Together 2 Goal® Aims to Improve Care for 1 Million People with Type 2 Diabetes by 2019

At the AMGA 2016 Annual Conference, AMGA Foundation launched its national Diabetes: Together 2 Goal® campaign with a successful premiere event featuring world champion boxer Sugar Ray Leonard and other leaders. More than 700 participants from AMGA members and supporters attended the event in Orlando, Florida.

Together 2 Goal® is the second campaign in AMGA Foundation’s Chronic Care Challenge. In the first campaign, Measure Up/Pressure Down®, nearly 150 AMGA members worked together to improve blood pressure detection or control for more than half a million Americans. The Together 2 Goal® campaign leverages this momentum and success to improve care for 1 million people with Type 2 diabetes.

“Together 2 Goal® is all about working together to achieve a shared goal,” said Donald W. Fisher, Ph.D., CAE, president and chief executive officer of AMGA, during the premiere event. “This campaign embraces the collective power of our members to lead a fundamental transformation in health care. Together, we can help people with Type 2 diabetes live longer, healthier lives while enjoying quality of life, greater productivity, and significant cost savings.”

This three-year initiative challenges leading healthcare organizations to work together to transform diabetes care for millions across the country. Over 130 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.

Knocking Out Type 2 Diabetes

Often regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time, Sugar Ray Leonard captivated the audience with his keynote address during the event. “I’ve been a fighter for more than 50 years and faced some of the toughest opposition in the world. Just the mere mention of their names would strike fear in their opponents’ hearts,” he said. “But today, I’m here for a much, much bigger fight-a fight against diabetes.”

Leonard explained how diabetes is personal to him-he entered professional boxing largely due to his desire to help pay the medical costs associated with his father’s diabetes. Understanding the devastating effects of the condition firsthand, Leonard praised the Together 2 Goal® campaign and participating organizations for their efforts to improve care for 1 million people with Type 2 diabetes.

“I know all about winning and this is one fight we can and will win collectively,” Leonard remarked. “When I heard about Together 2 Goal®, it resonated with me. The potential impact of this campaign is unprecedented. It’s a major task but it’s doable-and it’s going to happen.”

Joining Forces in Diabetes Management

The campaign premiere event also featured a number of the campaign’s non-profit partners and corporate collaborators.

Novo Nordisk, Inc.-the Presenting Corporate Collaborator of Together 2 Goal®-presented AMGA Foundation with a generous check for $1.5 million to support the campaign. Anna Windle, Ph.D., executive director, medical affairs at Novo Nordisk, Inc., provided remarks about her organization’s collaboration with Together 2 Goal®, saying, “Novo Nordisk supports research and projects that support patients, their families, the medical community, and leaders in the community. We’re very proud to be working with AMGA and AMGA Foundation because we truly think Together 2 Goal® will impact patients and the care of patients across the country.”

James W. Boswell, chair of AMGA Foundation Board of Directors, said, “Novo Nordisk shares our commitment to people living with diabetes and improving the quality of their care and their lives.”

Johnson & Johnson Health Care Systems, Inc. and Optum (Principal Corporate Collaborators), Merck and Sanofi (Contributing Corporate Collaborators), and DC Department of Health (Corporate Collaborator) join Novo Nordisk, Inc. as campaign corporate collaborators.

The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE), American College of Physicians, American Diabetes Association (ADA), American Kidney Fund, Behavioral Diabetes Institute, DiabetesSisters, HealthyWomen, and Men’s Health Network also support the campaign as non-profit partners and supporting organizations.

“In addition to our corporate collaborators, the Together 2 Goal® campaign would not be possible without our non-profit partners,” said Jerry Penso, M.D., M.B.A., president, AMGA Foundation, and chief medical and quality officer, AMGA, as he introduced leaders from ADA and AADE. “These organizations provide invaluable expertise that will help extend the reach and the impact of this exciting three-year campaign.”

The ADA’s 2015 President of Health Care & Education David Marrero, Ph.D., explained how Together 2 Goal® aligns with his association’s mission by improving the lives of those with diabetes. He noted, “Together 2 Goal® provides a clear roadmap for diabetes treatment incorporating evidence-based guidelines. It allows us an opportunity to evaluate our quality measures and set goals to create effective systems to improve care.” Marrero concluded, “It’s time that we step up and take a stand to improve the lives of people with diabetes, and Together 2 Goal® is a wonderful effort moving clearly in that direction.”

Deborah Greenwood, Ph.D., R.N., BC-ADM, CDE, FAADE, 2016 immediate past president of the AADE Board of Directors, highlighted the importance of keeping those with Type 2 diabetes at the center and focus of all our efforts. She also stressed the importance of diabetes self-education management-one of the 11 campaign planks-in empowering those living with diabetes to reach their goals. “Our role as diabetes educators is to help make life easier and not harder for people with diabetes, because we know that it’s hard enough,” she said. “Together, we can partner to help them achieve their goals, work with the healthcare team, and improve care and outcomes for 1 million people with Type 2 diabetes during this campaign.”

In their partnership roles, both Marrero and Greenwood sit on the Together 2 Goal® National Advisory Committee, the voting body on approval of campaign goals, planks, and specifications. The National Advisory Committee also provides general oversight, guidance, and input on campaign goals, structure, and activities; assists in the evaluation of risks, challenges, and opportunities; and serves as project champions by aiding member recruitment, stakeholder engagement, and fundraising efforts. Marrero also serves on the campaign’s Scientific Advisory Committee.

Rewarding Commitment to the Cause

To date, over 130 AMGA members have pledged to participate in the campaign. During the Together 2 Goal® premiere event, the AMGA Foundation recognized these leaders in diabetes management.

Leaders from Harbin Clinic, LLC, the largest privately owned, multispecialty physician group in Georgia, joined Leonard on stage for pictures and to claim the randomly selected and coveted giveaway of a pair of boxing gloves autographed by the International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee.

AMGA members participating or interested in the campaign also had the opportunity to take a group photo with Leonard and AMGA leaders, including Drs. Fisher and Penso. These photos and other highlights from the launch event are available on the campaign’s website.

To learn more, please visit www.together2goal.org or contact together2goal@amga.org.