Catalyst Projects Advancing Better Care
These projects focus on improving access, coordination and quality across the diabetes care journey. Working with patients, healthcare providers and community partners, project teams are addressing barriers to screening, self-management and specialized care for populations experiencing health inequities.
Developing and Implementing a Personalized Care Pathway to Improve the Management of Young-Onset Type 2 Diabetes in Peel Region
Project Lead: Dr. Calvin Ke
Project Objective: Collaboratively engage patients and community members to adopt a personalized diabetes care pathway to meet the diverse needs of young adults across all ethnicities in the Peel Region.
Development and Evaluation of an Intake and Navigation Hub to provide Coordinated Access to Comprehensive Team-based Diabetes Care in Brampton
Project Leads: Kimberley Floyd and Dr. Baiju Shah
A collaboration with WellFort Community Health Services, the Diabetes Intake and Navigation Hub project aims to improve access to diabetes care for people with diabetes in Brampton. The goal is to make it easier for people to get the care they need by creating a central hub that helps guide people with diabetes through the healthcare system. The project aims to reduce wait times, improve access, increase collaboration and collect data that will provide a better understanding of the needs of the community to assist in planning for future diabetes care that is fair and inclusive for everyone.
Reducing Health Inequities and Access Barriers in Severe Diabetic Foot Infection and Amputation by Engaging At-Risk Communities to Optimize the Implementation of Evidence-Based Strategies
Project Lead: Dr. Terence Tang
Project Objective: Further optimize the implementation of evidence-based strategies (multidisciplinary team and care pathways) in the care of diabetic foot ulcers to prevent severe outcomes and reduce health inequities.
Co-designing a Community-based Diabetes Screening Strategy for Peel: Road to Prevention
Project Lead: Dr. Ghazal Fazli
Working in collaboration with six community partners (Punjabi Community Health Services, Indus and Roots Community Services, WellFort and LAMP Community Health Centres and Dixie-Bloor Neighbourhood Centre), this project will co-design an accessible, equitable, and sustainable diabetes screening strategy that meets the needs of the community. The project looks specifically at early detection of prediabetes and diabetes to support high-risk populations who are likely to be undiagnosed, and those who may lack access to primary care.
Empowering Health Equity Through Prevention and Self-Management: Co-Designing Culturally-Tailored Pre-Clinical & Diabetes Education for Black Older Adults in Peel
Project Leads: Drs. Kristina Kokorelias and Michael Kalu
Working with a community team that includes researchers, community care organizations, older Black adults living with diabetes, a family caregiver and a clinician, the team will co-design and implement a culturally-tailored self-management tool that supports this community. Black adults face an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes for a variety of reasons, this project aims to provide more targeted and effective supports to improve outcomes.
Diabetes and Dementia Care of Mississauga’s Immigrant Communities
Project Leads: Dr. Lisa McCarthy, Dr. Ruben Hernandez Rodriguez, and Dr. Kainat Bashir
This project aims to develop a culturally-tailored program that supports older immigrants with dementia and diabetes to manage their health and social needs while waiting for long-term care admissions. Cognitive impairment is a common challenge for older adults with diabetes, which makes it harder for them to follow treatment plans without support. Older immigrants with these conditions can face cultural or language barriers to getting help. With a lack of long-term care beds available and a desire by many to age at home, a culturally-tailored program will help people live well in their communities as long as they can. Working with Partners Community Health, researchers will study community needs, co-design a program with the community and create a plan to evaluate the program’s effectiveness.