THE ALLIANCE: Gateway to Innovation in St. Louis and Beyond

2019-2023

The Alliance is a collaboration of major partners that provides direct resources in the St. Louis region. The purpose of this project is to design, test, and evaluate innovative approaches to optimize health status and advance racial equality. These approaches include targeting barriers to enrollment and participation to the CDC lifestyle change program, and promoting health system linkages to increase screening among patients and communication between different health providers.

Project Goals

  • Increase the number of people with prediabetes in CDC Lifestyle change program who have achieved 5% weight loss
  • Decrease proportion of people with diabetes with an A1C > 9
  • Increase hypertension and cholesterol control/management
  • Identify and address any health disparities to promote health and advance racial equity

Implications for Research and Practice

Upon completion, the public health systems between partners will be able to collect the needs in the St. Louis region to address the social determinants of health contributing to community health. Evaluation of the innovative programs to eliminate disparities can determine what is feasible in the community, be adapted for future programs and replicated in other institutions providing direct resources.

Project Contact

Amy Eyler: aeyler@wustl.edu

Project Staff

Principal Investigator: Amy Eyler, PhD
Co-Investigators: Katie Stamatakis, PhD; Ellen Barnidge, PhD; Maura Kepper, PhD
Research Assistant: Julia Liu

Project Partners

Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS), Saint Louis County Department of Health, St. Louis City Department of Health, Missouri Primary Care Association, St. Louis Integrated Health Network, the Gateway Region YMCA, and Missouri Pharmacy Association

Funding Source

CDC’s Division of Diabetes Translation: DP 18-1817