Hello Everyone,
It’s a pleasure to share that Blue Circle Health is now in 10 states including Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Missouri, Iowa, Ohio, Delaware, Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire. With that, the number of people we’re helping continues to climb each month. Since January of 2024, we’ve enrolled 700 people into the program. Expect to see us in more eastern and central time zone states this year.
Prescribing Community
It’s hard to overstate the importance of access to others with shared lived experience who understand what it’s like to live with a complicated, 24/7 condition. Many of our participants report that their time in the program is the first time they’ve interacted with others living with T1D.
If integrating access to community can lead to people with T1D feeling more informed, confident, and supported, should clinics consider “prescribing community” to all those interested? If so, what exactly should be offered? These are interesting questions that we’re working to answer.
We started with virtual group support sessions in both English and Spanish led by our T1D Support Guides. Then we added webinar-style events for participants, led by our providers and Community Manager, Scott Johnson.
In April, we expanded the webinar-style virtual community events to anyone living with or caring for someone with type 1 – not just our participants. With that, we began partnering with other organizations that do an amazing job of fostering and supporting the T1D community for these virtual events.
So far we’ve partnered with BreakthroughT1D, DiabetesSisters, and Diversity in Diabetes, and we’re excited to partner with The Diabetes Link for an upcoming webinar next month. Have a look at our calendar of events and feel free to share.
On May 18th, we held our first in-person event in Miami with You’re Just My Type featuring guest speaker Chris Ruden. The feedback was great with many attendees driving hours to be there.
We’ll keep learning what works best for our participants and sharing lessons learned. If anyone has ideas for community or would like to collaborate, send Scott a note at sjohnson@bluecirclehealth.org.
Partnering for Success
The majority of our participants get connected to us via referrals from their providers. Whenever we have the chance to meet with teams at clinics, plans, and hospitals, we do our best to understand their priorities and position our program to support them.
Just as I was putting this update together, I received an email from a team at the University of Vermont Health Network. Their case management team is incorporating Blue Circle Health as part of an initiative to reduce hospital admissions.
I’m sharing this because it seems that every healthcare-related story these days is a reminder of what’s wrong. This story is a great reminder of what is right. Despite all of the challenges, our healthcare system is still filled with incredible people who find creative ways to help those in need. This email was originally sent to their leadership and then forwarded to us:
Jennifer, Katherine, Lindsay, and the UVMHN team – thank you for sharing! And thank you to all of our partners for welcoming us as an extension of your team.
As a reminder, all clinicians are welcome to join our monthly clinical partnership meetings led by our VP of Clinical Care, Dr. Monica Gomberg. If anyone would like to be added to that invite or arrange a call to learn more about our program and how we might partner, send a note to our Director of Community Engagement, Sara Lerner at slerner@bluecirclehealth.org.
Upcoming Appearances
If you’re at any of these events and would like to catch up, please let us know!
- We are looking forward to attending and sharing our first set of outcomes data at ADA’s 85th Scientific Sessions in Chicago, IL!
- We’re speaking at Health Choice Network’s Annual Conference on June 21st in Florida.
- We’re taking the podium to share results at ADCES25 in Phoenix in August.
- We’ve teamed up with La misión de SLAMT1D to expand our reach in New England and beyond. We’re looking forward to participating in their annual Vermont Summer Classic Wiffle Ball Tournament on August 9th!
Blue Circle In the News
- ‘Too good to be true’: Free Blue Circle program seeks to transform Type 1 diabetes care in Ohio’ by Julie Washington, Cleveland.com
- Blue Circle Health: A Plan To Help People With Type 1 Diabetes Thrive by Paul Heltzel, diaTribe
- Navigating Motherhood with Type 1 Diabetes: Expert Advice from the Blue Circle Health Team by Lindsay Cohen RDN, LDN, CDCES, NBCHWC, Mama-Betes
- Free virtual Type 1 diabetes care with Blue Circle Health, by Community Health Options
As always, thank you to everyone who has helped us get to where we are today. If you have friends that we should know, please make an introduction!
Len D’Avolio, PhD
CEO, Blue Circle Health
Asst. Professor, Harvard Medical School
Asst. Professor, Mass General Brigham
