Peers for Progress is a program of the American Academy of Family Physicians Foundation funded by the Eli Lilly and Company Foundation and developed in conjunction with the American Academy of Family Physicians and in collaboration with the American Association of Diabetes Educators.
Peers for Progress is a global peer-support program designed to address the growing diabetes epidemic by complementing and enhancing the collaborative efforts of primary care physicians, patients and diabetes educators. The program is rooted in peer-to-peer interactions, mentoring and role-modeling, in order to sustain individual behavioral changes that will improve long-term diabetes outcomes.
We believe that people living with diabetes have much to offer each other. They share a unique knowledge and experience that can benefit patients in areas of self-management. We invite you to learn more about diabetes and peer support by visiting our partner web pages.
Peers for Progress was founded in 2006 to facilitate the awareness, education and training in peer support to address management of the growing, worldwide diabetes epidemic.
Funded by a grant from the Eli Lilly and Company Foundation, Peers for Progress is based on the hypothesis that sustainable individual behavioral changes are necessary to improve long-term outcomes. We believe these changes will occur through peer-to-peer interactions, mentoring and role-modeling.
The concept behind Peers for Progress dates to 1914 when Commodore Wilbert E. Longfellow enlisted the participation of the American Red Cross in a program to address the rapidly mounting death toll from drowning. The program was called "the water proofing of America." In this initiative, individuals were taught to swim and then received additional training and certification to teach others. During Commodore Longfellow’s life, more than 65 million swimming certifications were awarded and the nation’s drowning rate was reduced by more than half.
Through our research — and the clinical experience of Peers for Progress leadership — we have found that many people with diabetes want more than just to be taken care of; they want to help others. Peers for Progress provides an opportunity for individuals with diabetes to take an active, vital role in reducing the burden of diabetes by sharing their knowledge and experience with others.
Peers for Progress is a program of the American Academy of Family Physicians Foundation funded by the Eli Lilly and Company Foundation and developed in conjunction with the American Academy of Family Physicians and in collaboration with the American Association of Diabetes Educators.
The AAFP Foundation serves as the philanthropic arm of the American Academy of Family Physicians. The Foundation advances the values of family medicine by promoting humanitarian, educational and scientific initiatives that improve the health of all people. For more information about the AAFP Foundation, visit www.aafpfoundation.org.
Founded in 1973, the AADE is a multidisciplinary professional membership organization of healthcare professionals dedicated to integrating successful self-management as a key outcome in the care of people with diabetes and related conditions. Its mission is to drive professional practice to promote healthy living through self-management of diabetes and related conditions. For more information about AADE, visit www.diabeteseducator.org.
