Brown launched the hospital’s National Diabetes Prevention Program in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, impacting nearly 500 individuals in South Florida

The Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce honored Holy Cross Hospital nurse and Pompano Beach resident Kristen Schroeder-Brown with the Excellence in Healthcare Award in Nursing during the annual Perspectives on Florida's Healthcare Conference.

Schroeder-Brown, RN, CDE, CHES, who is the program coordinator for the National Diabetes Prevention Program, Department of Community Health & Well-Being at Holy Cross, launched the non-profit hospital’s National Diabetes Prevention Program in 2017. The program has already received full recognition status by the Centers of Disease Control.

“What began as Kristen as the lone lifestyle coach has grown to nine lifestyle coaches and more than 250 participants annually,” said Kim Saiswick, vice president of community health & well-being at Holy Cross. “Kristen mobilized and trained her team and they have produced outstanding outcomes. There is an 85 percent retention rate in the year-long program with participants losing a total of 1,422 pounds and posting an amazing 722 activity minutes per week.”

A certified diabetic educator, Schroeder-Brown values prevention and the need for community-level action. In addition to in-person classes, Schroeder-Brown and her team launched Holy Cross Hospital’s My Body My Health, a virtual platform providing the National Diabetes Prevention Program that gives participants free, convenient access anytime, anywhere via computer, tablet or smart phone. Schroeder-Brown and the lifestyle coaches are active in the community teaching about the risks associated with prediabetes and the importance of a healthy lifestyle. She also has been published in several articles on those topics.

“The numbers give us pause,” said Schroeder-Brown, who earned Master Trainer status. “About 84 million American adults, which is 1 out of 3, are prediabetic, and 90 percent of them don’t know it. Prediabetes puts you at an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke. That’s why diabetes prevention and education is so important.”

This program is fully funded by a grant from the Centers of Disease Control to Trinity Health and provides 26 weeks of lifestyle behavior change classes facilitated by a trained lifestyle coach over the course of a year. Participants sign up on their own or are often referred by physicians, health professionals, friends and family. Because the program is funded by a grant, there is no charge for participation. Schroeder-Brown and her team are currently assessing various value-based models, seeking alternative payment models to ensure program continuation and longevity in the future.

“We are so inspired by our participants,” said Schroeder-Brown, who is responsible for also providing nationwide training to other Trinity Health National Diabetes Prevention Programs and their lifestyle coaches. “They are really passionate. We love hearing how their numbers are down, how they look and feel better and how they are buying new clothes because their old ones are too big now.”

About Holy Cross Hospital

A member of Trinity Health, Fort Lauderdale-based Holy Cross Hospital is a full-service, non-profit, Catholic, teaching hospital operating in the spirit of the Sisters of Mercy. Holy Cross Hospital has been named one of the top five hospitals in the Miami metro area and among the top 20 in the state in U.S. News and World Report's 2019-2020 Best Hospital rankings. Through strategic collaborations and a commitment to being a person-centered, transforming, healing presence, the 557-bed hospital offers progressive inpatient, outpatient and community outreach services and clinical research trials to serve as our community’s trusted health partner for life. To learn more about Holy Cross Hospital, visit holy-cross.com. Connect @holycrossfl.