Clinical Prevention

Healthy Hampshire’s clinical prevention activities focus on decreasing risk factors for diabetes, heart disease, and stroke for people in our communities. We partner with the Hilltown Community Health Center and the Hampshire Regional YMCA to ensure that patients who are at risk for these chronic diseases are able to get the preventative care and attention they need.

YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program

The Hampshire Regional YMCA and the Hilltown Community Health Center is currently offering Diabetes Prevention Program classes. For more information on current classes, please contact us! The YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program is an evidenced-based prevention curriculum supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for people who are at risk for diabetes. Research examining the effects of a structured lifestyle change intervention like YDPP showed that weight loss of 5 to 7 percent reduced the risk of developing diabetes by 58% in people at high risk for the disease. Strategies employed by YDPP include incorporating healthier eating and moderate physical activity, as well as problem-solving, stress-reduction, and coping skills, into their daily lives.

Community Health Workers

Community Health Workers (CHWs) are the front-line public health workers who have an intimate understanding of the needs of community members. They provide an essential link between a patient and the health care system, helping patients who are at risk for hypertension or diabetes to improve and manage their health. CHWs also become part of the clinical team, providing important information to doctors about the patient and providing feedback to the healthcare system on patient needs. Healthy Hampshire partners with the Hilltown Community Health Center to train Community Health Workers on best practices for addressing the needs of patients with prediabetes or signs of hypertension.

Quality Improvement

Quality improvement (QI) “consists of systematic and continuous actions that lead to measurable improvement in health care services and the health status of targeted patient groups” (HRSA). The Hilltown Community Health Center is implementing changes to their health care system that will more effectively identify people at risk for hypertension and diabetes. This will allow them to work with the individual patient to determine the best suite of services that will help decrease the risk factors for hypertension and diabetes, whether that be through the Community Health Worker program, the Diabetes Prevention Program, or others.