Northwell Expands Diabetes Prevention Services With Support From CDC
Northwell Health has been formally recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as an Umbrella Hub Organization (UHO) for the National Diabetes Prevention Program (NDPP), marking a major milestone in efforts to expand evidence-based diabetes prevention services across New York State.
The designation comes after four years of coordinated work with community-based partners and represents a critical step toward scaling preventive care for individuals at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes. It also enables more sustainable reimbursement pathways through Medicare, Medicaid, and other payers, strengthening the long-term viability of community-driven health interventions.
Strengthening a National Model for Diabetes Prevention
The CDC’s National Diabetes Prevention Program is a structured, lifestyle-focused intervention designed to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes in individuals identified as prediabetic or otherwise at high risk. The program emphasizes sustained behavioral changes, including improved nutrition, increased physical activity, and weight management, delivered through group-based coaching over a 12-month period.
By achieving UHO status, Northwell Health is now positioned to serve as a centralized coordinating entity for a broader network of community organizations delivering the NDPP. This structure allows smaller local partners to participate in the program while benefiting from standardized oversight, data reporting systems, and reimbursement facilitation.
The designation is particularly significant in the context of rising diabetes prevalence in the United States, where type 2 diabetes continues to represent a major public health burden. Expanding prevention programs at scale is considered one of the most effective strategies for reducing long-term healthcare costs and improving population health outcomes.
Building a Community-Based Prevention Network
The Northwell NDPP initiative was developed under the leadership of Stephanie L. Fitzpatrick, PhD, professor at the Institute of Health System Science within the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research. Dr. Fitzpatrick and her team established the Northwell NDPP Community Network to connect local organizations capable of delivering lifestyle interventions directly within their communities.
The network currently includes several key partners, such as the YMCA of Long Island, Inc., the Carter Burden Network in East Harlem, and the Greater Springfield Community Church in Jamaica, Queens. These organizations have been instrumental in delivering culturally responsive, accessible programming tailored to the needs of diverse populations across New York.
From 2024 to 2025, these community partners collectively delivered the 12-month NDPP curriculum to 52 participants. The program focuses on group-based lifestyle coaching sessions that help individuals adopt sustainable changes in diet, physical activity, and overall health behavior.
Despite the relatively small initial cohort size, early results have demonstrated meaningful clinical and behavioral improvements among participants, reinforcing the effectiveness of community-based delivery models.
Measurable Health Outcomes and Participant Progress
Across participating cohorts, individuals enrolled in the NDPP experienced significant improvements in key health indicators. One cohort recorded an average weight loss of 7.45 pounds, representing approximately 4.13 percent of baseline body weight. Importantly, a substantial proportion of participants achieved the clinically meaningful threshold of at least 5 percent weight loss, a benchmark widely associated with reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Physical activity levels also improved markedly. In two cohorts, 100 percent of participants reported engaging in at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week, aligning with established public health recommendations for chronic disease prevention.
Beyond quantitative outcomes, participant feedback highlighted strong satisfaction with the program. Surveys indicated extremely high ratings for both program quality and the effectiveness of lifestyle coaches, with average scores of 4.9 out of 5 for program experience and 5 out of 5 for coaching support. Participants consistently emphasized the value of group accountability, structured education, and ongoing encouragement from peers and facilitators.
Many individuals described the program as transformative, noting improvements not only in physical health but also in motivation, self-awareness, and long-term lifestyle habits.
Leadership Perspectives on Public Health Impact
According to Dr. Fitzpatrick, the UHO designation represents a significant advancement in Northwell Health’s ability to expand access to preventive care. She emphasized that the recognition enables broader reach, improved financial sustainability, and stronger integration between clinical systems and community organizations.
Dr. Fitzpatrick noted that the achievement reflects a collaborative effort involving researchers, healthcare providers, and community partners working toward a shared goal of reducing the burden of chronic disease. She also highlighted that the NDPP model demonstrates how evidence-based interventions can be successfully implemented outside traditional clinical settings.
Debbie Salas-Lopez, MD, executive vice president at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research Institute for Community Health and Wellness, underscored the broader mission behind the initiative. She stated that the UHO designation aligns with Northwell Health’s commitment to “Raising Health for All,” emphasizing that health outcomes are shaped by social and environmental factors where people live, work, and learn.
Dr. Salas-Lopez highlighted that expanding reimbursement eligibility through Medicare and Medicaid will allow the program to grow sustainably, ensuring that preventive services can reach more individuals in underserved communities.
Financial Sustainability Through Reimbursement Pathways
One of the most important implications of the UHO designation is the ability to secure reimbursement for NDPP services through public and private payers. As a CDC-recognized Umbrella Hub Organization with Preliminary Recognition Status, Northwell Health can now facilitate billing and reimbursement mechanisms for participating community organizations.
This funding model addresses a longstanding challenge in preventive health programming: the difficulty of sustaining community-based interventions without reliable financial support. By enabling reimbursement through Medicare, Medicaid, and other insurers, the UHO structure ensures that participating organizations can continue delivering services without relying solely on grants or short-term funding.
This financial framework is expected to significantly expand program capacity, allowing Northwell and its partners to scale outreach efforts to a larger population of at-risk individuals across New York.
Strengthening Academic and Research Integration
The NDPP initiative is also closely linked to academic research and health system science. Karina Davidson, PhD, director of the Institute of Health System Science at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, emphasized that the program reflects Northwell’s commitment to translating scientific research into real-world health improvements.
She noted that the UHO designation provides a scalable infrastructure for expanding evidence-based interventions and reinforces the role of academic health systems in addressing chronic disease at population scale.
Dr. Fitzpatrick’s leadership in this area has also been recognized more broadly. She was recently elected a Fellow of the Academy of Behavioral Medicine Research, reflecting her contributions to advancing behavioral and lifestyle-based interventions for chronic disease prevention.
Expanding Access and Reducing Diabetes Risk Across Communities
With UHO status in place, Northwell Health’s NDPP Community Network is now positioned for significant expansion. The combination of CDC recognition, reimbursement eligibility, and established community partnerships creates a strong foundation for scaling diabetes prevention services across diverse populations.
The program’s long-term goal is to reduce the incidence of type 2 diabetes by intervening early in at-risk populations through accessible, community-driven interventions. By embedding prevention programs directly within local organizations, the initiative aims to address barriers such as cost, transportation, and access to traditional healthcare facilities.
As diabetes continues to represent one of the most pressing chronic disease challenges in the United States, models like Northwell’s UHO framework are increasingly viewed as essential components of a broader strategy to improve population health outcomes.
The recognition of Northwell Health as a CDC Umbrella Hub Organization for the National Diabetes Prevention Program represents a significant advancement in community-based chronic disease prevention. By integrating academic research, clinical expertise, and local partnerships, the initiative demonstrates how scalable, evidence-based programs can address one of the most widespread and preventable health conditions in the country.
With expanded reimbursement pathways and a growing network of community partners, Northwell Health is now positioned to significantly broaden access to diabetes prevention services and contribute to long-term reductions in type 2 diabetes incidence across New York State.
About the Feinstein Institutes
The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research is the home of the research institutes of Northwell Health, the largest health care provider and private employer in New York State. Encompassing 50+ research labs, 3,000 clinical research studies and 5,000 researchers and staff, the Feinstein Institutes raises the standard of medical innovation through its six institutes of behavioral science, bioelectronic medicine, cancer, health system science, molecular medicine, and translational research.
We are the global scientific leader in bioelectronic medicine – an innovative field of science that has the potential to revolutionize medicine. The Feinstein Institutes publishes two open-access, international peer-reviewed journals Molecular Medicine and Bioelectronic Medicine. Through the Elmezzi Graduate School of Molecular Medicine, we offer an accelerated PhD program.
