Denton County Public Health named a National Promising Practice

Denton County Public Health recently received recognition from the National Association of County and City Health Officials’ Model Practice Program as a 2020 National Promising Practice.

NACCHO selected DCPH’s Diabetes Education and Case Management program as a promising practice and has recognized DCPH’s DECM team at the virtual 2020 NACCHO Annual Conference last week, according to a news release from DCPH.

“The hard work of DCPH is not only reflected in COVID-19 response but in the day-to-day operations that lead our communities toward a healthier future,” said Denton County Judge Andy Eads. “This award highlights the commitment of the DCPH diabetic educators and case management team, who work with community members throughout Denton County to lower their blood sugars through proper dosing of medications, nutrition, and exercise.

Based on County Health Rankings data, 9% of Denton County residents 20 and older have a diabetes diagnosis. The American Diabetes Association states a Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) reduction of 1% reduces diabetic complications by 40% or more. Through implementation of the DCPH DECM program, DCPH has lowered their patient cohort HbA1c from a starting average baseline of 11.7% to 7.9%. Over 76% of the DECM patients have a HbA1c below 9.0% and almost half of the patients have a HbA1c below the ADA recommended 7.0%, according to DCPH.

“This award demonstrates the dedication towards excellence that our entire team consistently strives for,” said Joe Paul Gallo, DCPH Disease Control and Prevention Division Manager. “It is exciting to know that the model carried out in Denton County improves the lives of the clients we serve, but also that this model can now be adopted to improve lives across the nation.”

NACCHO’s Model Practice Program aims to nationally honor and recognize outstanding local public health practices, as well as to promote the sharing of these outstanding practices among local health departments, according to the news release. Health departments recognized by NACCHO’s Model Practice Program undergo a rigorous evaluation by peer review to assess their development of innovative practices, resources, administrative processes, or tools, of which are exemplary and easy to replicate when addressing local public health needs.

For more information about DCPH, visit DentonCounty.com/Health and follow @WeAreDCPH on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Visit NACCHO.org for more information on NACCHO’s Model Practice Program.