Simple and Cost-effective Communication Technology Yields Improved Diabetes Care

A new study finds diabetes management using simple communication technology much more effective than traditional approaches for underserved populations with communication barriers like limited health literacy and limited English proficiency.

Several articles published by Dr. Dean Schillinger, chief of the California Diabetes Program, and colleagues at the UCSF Center for Vulnerable Populations at San Francisco General Hospital determined that automated telephone support for diabetes management improves quality of care in public “safety-net” settings; reduces patients’ symptom burden associated with diabetes; and is cost-effective. The study holds promise that better communication between public health care systems and the vulnerable populations they serve will reduce diabetes-related health disparities.

Lopez-Payan Receives UCSF Chancellor’s Award for Exceptional University Management

This award recognizes and rewards outstanding university service among supervisors and management. Susan Lopez-Payan, coordinator of the California Diabetes Program, was honored by Chancellor J. Michael Bishop, MD, (pictured below) on May 1.

This highly prestigious award represents both a celebration of Susan’s commitment and character, as well as an honoring of the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) employees who are working at the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), and the productive and resilient relationship that has evolved between UCSF and CDPH over the years.  We are excited that UCSF, an institution known primarily for its contributions to basic science and clinical care, has chosen to honor a public health management leader.