State of Alaska

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Fresh Start: Free Programs for Better Health

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Key Initiatives

Promote Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support Services across Alaska

Diabetes Umbrella License
Program support in Alaska

Promote Diabetes Prevention:

Take the online Prediabetes Risk Quiz

Diabetes Prevention Programs

Alaska Diabetes Coalition

Partnerships

Resources

Program Contacts

Diabetes Prevention and Control
3601 C Street, Suite 722
Anchorage, AK 99503
P.O. Box 240249,
Anchorage, AK 99524-0249
Diabetes@alaska.gov

Webpage updated March 2024

Diabetes Prevention and Control Program

Diabetes is serious, controllable and preventable.

Highlights:

Find out if you have increased chances of having prediabetes — Take the quick 1-minute risk quiz.
Join FREE online programs to lose weight or prevent or manage diabetes for Alaska adults. Find out if you are eligible at Fresh Start - Free Programs for Better Health
Join a local in-person program to help you prevent diabetes.
Join a local in-person program to help you manage diabetes.

Diabetes is a health condition that can increase the likelihood of heart disease and stroke. Uncontrolled diabetes can lead to significant disability, including blindness, amputations, and kidney failure. On average, people with diabetes have health care costs that are more than two times higher than those without diabetes.

Prediabetes is a health condition involving blood sugar levels that are higher than normal, but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes.

Prediabetes can be reversed with a few lifestyle changes before it becomes type 2 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes can be controlled to prevent life-threatening illness and disability.

Our program:

Provides a statewide network of proven effective lifestyle change programs designed to:

prevent type 2 diabetes among people who have the highest chances of developing the condition (those with prediabetes).
prevent or delay the onset of complications among people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

Connects Alaska adults to free online programs to prevent and manage diabetes and other chronic diseases through Alaska’s Fresh Start campaign
Educates Alaskans about the serious health consequences related to uncontrolled diabetes and about the programs available to help them prevent and manage diabetes.
Engages health care partners across the state to increase screening for diabetes and availability of in-person and online diabetes prevention and self-management programs.
Monitors the percentage of Alaskans with diabetes.

Individuals and health care providers can help prevent and control diabetes by doing the following:

Individuals

Take the quick, easy one-minute online prediabetes risk quiz.
Have a conversation with your health care provider if you have a higher chance of developing diabetes. Get a blood sugar (glucose) test.
Get support from a proven effective Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) or Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support Services (DSMES). Free online versions of these programs are available through Alaska’s Fresh Start campaign.

Health Care Providers

Review and follow the National Diabetes Prevention Program Coverage Toolkit and the Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support Tool Kit
Check for high blood sugar among patients who are 45 years and older, overweight, or with a family history of diabetes.
Refer all patients with prediabetes to a national diabetes prevention program.
Refer all patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes to diabetes self-management education and support services.
Refer patients to free online programs to prevent and manage diabetes and other chronic diseases, found through Alaska’s Fresh Start campaign.

Health Systems

Create new Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support Services and Diabetes Prevention Programs to increase availability and accessibility.
Develop and use electronic health record referral systems to connect patients with services to prevent and manage diabetes. Contact us for assistance.
Work with pharmacists to help patients with diabetes manage their medications.