Johns Hopkins Medicine Awarded 1.7 Million to Implement Use of Diabetes Navigator in Underserved Communities
In an effort to improve diabetes care and mitigate disparities in diabetes-related outcomes, Johns Hopkins Children’s Center and Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers were awarded a $1.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to implement use of a diabetes navigator in the real-world clinical setting — a person who will help improve diabetes technology use in underserved communities. Type 1 diabetes requires daily management to maintain adequate glycemic control and to prevent diabetes-related complications. Use of diabetes technologies, such as continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) that track blood sugar levels, is the standard of care, and it improves glycemic control. However, CGMs are underused, particularly among minorities and underserved communities. The principal researchers are Risa Wolf, M.D., a Johns Hopkins Children’s Center pediatric endocrinologist and an associate professor of pediatrics, and Nestoras Mathioudakis, M.D., M.H.S., a Johns Hopkins Medicine adult endocrinologist and an associate professor of medicine.