Joslin Diabetes Center Convenes Leaders in Diabetes Prevention, Treatment, Payment, Education and Research at Diabetes Innovation 2012

Not Just a Conference - A Call to Action

BOSTON -- July 18, 2012 -- The diabetes epidemic demands a powerful response from leaders in the diabetes community, nationally and globally. To this end, for the first time in its 114 year history, Joslin Diabetes Center, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School will convene all stakeholders for a groundbreaking, immersive activity over 3 days in September called Diabetes Innovation 2012 (September 23-25, 2012 at the Hyatt Crystal City in Arlington, VA).

Diabetes Innovation 2012 will act as a powerful catalyst for ideas, partnerships and collaborations. It will provoke thought, innovation and action that address the cost, productivity and quality-of-life impact of diabetes on our society by bringing together all stakeholders:  payers, purchasers, providers, industry, government, research, patients, consumers, technologists, developers, and funders. 

“Simply put, we MUST forge new approaches and dramatically increase our sense of urgency to address diabetes head-on.  Despite all of our collective efforts, we are not keeping up with the global threats presented by obesity and diabetes,” says John L. Brooks III, CEO, Joslin Diabetes Center. “To effectively make a real difference, we need to convene, apply our collective energies, and work together, to truly create innovative policies and programs that will involve all stakeholders and that will make a real difference.  This world-wide pandemic will not be solved until all of us use our combined resources, commitment, determination, and passion to map out an aggressive and meaningful path forward.”

Diabetes Innovation 2012 will provide a powerful foundation for sustained advancement in all facets of diabetes prevention, treatment and payment reforms including social media and gaming, translational research breakthroughs, food sourcing, distribution to mobile patient technologies and everything in between. 

“Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S.  We need more preventive programs that help improve individuals’ health and sustain behavior change.  When consumers make better choices about diet, exercise and smoking, potentially disastrous outcomes like diabetes and heart disease can be avoided,” said Donald M. Berwick, MD, former CMS Administrator and former President and CEO, Institute for Healthcare Improvement and Diabetes Innovation 2012 Senior Advisor. “We need to ‘innovate’ processes, tools and incentives towards prevention for consumers and all stakeholders.”

Diabetes Innovation 2012 features leaders and innovators from all sectors, and will include innovations in prevention, delivery and adherence as well as innovations in process and policy.  Among over 80 faculty, and hundreds of audience members, from industry and the payer, provider and purchaser community and academia, leaders from many of the most important government agencies (AHRQ, PCORI, NIH, CDC, FDA, CMS, CMMI) will be on hand to encourage open dialogue and collaboration to speed system improvements.

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Support for the activity is provided by Sanofi US.  According to Dennis Urbaniak, Vice President, Head of U.S. Diabetes, Sanofi US, “At Sanofi, we know innovation is the key to fostering accelerated improvements. We are pleased to provide opportunities that stimulate innovation not only in products, but also in other solutions, as evidenced by our Data Design Diabetes Innovation Challenge. We’re committed to supporting Joslin Diabetes Center’s important initiative to convene all stakeholders onto common ground, to move forward as collaborators, and not as individual constituencies.”

 “Our very successful pilot of this convening event that we held in Washington DC last July, convinced us that there is a tremendous amount of interest and enthusiasm for expanding  this program to a three day program so we can engage as many participants and encompass as many ideas and inputs as possible,” according to Brooks. “If you really want to shape the future direction of diabetes, covering the entire spectrum of care, education, technology, prevention as well as the landscape of diabetes complications, comorbidities, and related health conditions, you should sign up now so your voice can be heard.”

To sponsor, exhibit or register for Diabetes Innovation 2012, please visit www.diabetesinnovation.org.