Offering the Sweet Success Advantage
HOME
FACT SHEET
CONFERENCES
BECOME AN ASSOCIATE
PRODUCTS
MAKE A DONATION
RESOURCES
CONTACT US
|
Fact Sheet SSEP is a 501 (c) (3) Non-profit Corporation designed provides diabetes and pregnancy education and services to health care professionals nationwide. Mission Statement: The mission of SSEP is to assist in establishing cost-effective, national diabetes and pregnancy standards of care directed towards improving pregnancy outcomes through preventative health education for women with pre-existing or gestational diabetes and their children. The preventative education is directed toward improving long-term outcomes by decreasing the incidence or preventing the onset of type 2 diabetes in women who develop gestational diabetes, preventing diabetes related complications, and preventing the development of type 2 diabetes and obesity in their children. Magnitude of the problem: Diabetes mellitus is the most common metabolic complication of pregnancy, affecting 6 to 7% of all pregnant women - approximately 150,000 nationwide each year. This is a staggering 1.5 million women affected over a ten year period. Approximately 50% of the women with gestational diabetes will go on to develop type 2 diabetes within 5 to 10 years. Many ethnic groups including Hispanic, African American and Native American populations have an even greater incidence of GDM and type 2 diabetes. These mothers and their infants are at increased risk for many complications including:
Often third-party reimbursement (private or public) isn’t available for education services during pregnancy causing patients to seek help late in pregnancy leading to poor outcomes. The California Diabetes and Pregnancy Program developed and implemented a highly successful, cost-effective, outpatient based education program called Sweet Success. Over 200 California hospitals, clinics and/or doctors offices now have active Sweet Success Programs. Because of the program’s flexibility, it has been successful for all size facilities because it is able to deliver selected services tailored to utilize the available resources. Cost-effectiveness: Sweet Success has been shown to be cost-effective and cost-beneficial. Two California studies have shown that $3 to $5 is saved for every $1 spent on diabetes and pregnancy prenatal care. By providing care consistent with the Sweet Success Guidelines, millions of dollars a year can be saved during pregnancy alone. (References for studies are available upon request.) Improved Outcomes: The California Sweet Success data show improved outcomes for the following variables:
Long-term Implications: Diabetes is at epidemic proportions costing billions of dollars each year. It is projected that the incidence of diabetes will dramatically increase over the next 10 to 15 years and the financial implications in terms of payment for services are absolutely staggering. A healthy lifestyle can prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes. Obesity and lack of exercise are two of the major contributing factors to developing diabetes. The incidence of obesity is also on the rise. Until recently, women with pre-existing diabetes were told they could never have a child, women with GDM were reassured that it would “go away” after pregnancy and long-term consequences of diabetes were ignored. The sad part is that this is still happening in many parts of the nation. Golden Opportunity: Today, with appropriate management, women with diabetes can have healthy pregnancies with optimal outcomes, and prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes later in life. The Sweet Success model focuses on pre-pregnancy planning, education and long-term lifestyle modifications. This model focuses on practical approaches to meal planning, weight management and exercise strategies to help prevent or delay type 2 diabetes. If the incidence of developing type 2 diabetes in GDMs can be decreased by 30%, it would prevent approximately 500,000 women from developing the disease in the next 10 years, saving millions of dollars in health care costs. This is the power of preventative education. Working Collaboratively: SSEP collaborates with state and national organizations, Indian Health Services and other quality diabetes and pregnancy education programs, to promote diverse avenues for providing continuing education products and services that will improve care in out-lying facilities. One of SSEP’s goals is to make current diabetes and pregnancy standards of care available and accessible to all programs in every state. Today there are just over 225 Sweet Success Affiliate Programs in California, 15 programs trained as Sweet Success Associates in other states and approximately 200 individual members during the past 4 years in 38 states providing services to these high-risk women. SSEP currently receives over 500 inquiries for information annually. The goal of SSEP is to make current diabetes and reproductive health standards of care information available and accessible to every program in the nation. SSEP NEEDS YOUR HELP SSEP is funded primarily by tax deductible contributions and 100% of funds received is utilized for activities to fulfill our charitable mission. To make a contribution to SSEP, click here, email us, or call us at 714-968-0735
For more information or questions about our products, email us or phone/fax 714.968.0735 |
