Community Engagement
Diabetes and obesity as well as other chronic illnesses have a disproportionate impact on low-income, diverse ethnic groups, yet minimal research has been conducted to identify clinically and cost effective care and treatment models for our highest risk populations. In particular, the Latino population exhibits a higher prevalence rate of type 2 diabetes, more frequent complications, greater disease severity and worse outcomes than non-Latino whites.
Effective methods of caring for the ever-increasing number of ethnically and culturally diverse populations is critical to the future of our nation’s health care system, the economy and the lives of millions of individuals.
The goal of the Scripps Translational Science Institute (STSI) community engagement program with the nationally-recognized Scripps Whittier Diabetes Institute (SWDI) is to create a model of health care that will help improve the prevention and treatment of diabetes in people of Mexican ancestry who live in the San Diego area and who are at high risk for developing the disease.
The STSI/SWDI Community Engagement program harnesses and applies STSI’s core capabilities in genomics science and wireless medicine and SWDI’s expertise in community-based diabetes education and health care delivery. SWDI also brings to STSI a long history of building partnerships with San Diego County and the non-for-profit community clinics to prevent and treat diabetes in San Diego’s multi-ethnic communities.
The two key programs of the Community Engagement program are the Scripps-San Diego Diabetes Genebank, and the National Institutes of Health’s pilot study titled, A Community Intervention To Reduce the Risks of Developing Diabetes after Gestational Diabetes.
For more information:
Video of Athena Philis-Tsimikas, M.D., Director of STSI’s Community Engagement & Scripps Health Corporate V.P., Scripps Whittier Diabetes Institute
Scripps Whittier Diabetes Institute
Founded in 1982, The Scripps Whittier Diabetes Institute stands alone as the San Diego region’s leading comprehensive organization for diabetes.
Learn More