Diabetes Mortality: Data-Guided Donation

Diana Saad

Aug 15

7 min read

Updated: Sep 7

Photo Attribution: Caleb Oquendo, Pexels

Big Picture Goal:

Reduce diabetes mellitus mortality rates in the U.S.

Project Objective: Data-Guided Donations

By the end of the 10-week project, propose a data-guided donation to one or more nonprofit organizations serving priority counties within the United States.

Organizations must

📍 serve a priority county chosen by the team(s) and
🏆 be implementing evidence-based interventions aimed at reducing diabetes mellitus mortality or improving intermediate outcomes, such as preventing diabetes or improving diabetes management.

5 Steps

From June to August 2026, teams of Community Data Interns at BroadStreet Institute analyzed U.S. diabetes mellitus mortality data and identified nonprofit organizations implementing 🏆 evidence-based strategies to address diabetes mellitus.

Step 1. Create a List of📍Priority Counties by State
Step 2. Each Team Selects One📍Priority County
Step 3. Review Evidence-Based Interventions 🏆
Step 4. Identify Nonprofit Organizations Serving📍Priority Counties
Step 5. Review and Donate to Selected Non-Profit Organizations

Inputs / Inventory:

💰 Money: $350 to donate
⏰ Time: 10 weeks
🧰 Tools: CDC WONDER Mortality Data (CDC WONDER, 2026)
👥 Team: people (8 leaders, 49 team members)

Methods.

Seven teams, consisting of 7–10 members each, analyzed CDC WONDER mortality data (CDC WONDER, 2018-2024) to examine patterns in diabetes mellitus mortality across the United States. Each team selected a📍priority county based on their findings, reviewed systematic reviews and meta-analyses to identify 🏆 evidence-based strategies for improving diabetes-related outcomes, and researched nonprofit organizations serving the selected county whose programs support diabetes prevention, management, or reducing diabetes-related mortality.

Step 1. Create a List of📍Key Counties by State

Objective: The objective was for each team member creates a shortlist of counties.

The 50 U.S. states were divided among the seven teams, with each team member assigned a different state to analyze. To ensure each team examined at least one area with high mortality rates, every team was assigned at least one state containing a county that was ranked among the top 10 for diabetes mellitus crude mortality rates (CDC Wonder, 2018–2024). Using CDC WONDER data from 2018–2024, members examined county-level crude mortality from diabetes mellitus (ICD-10 codes E10–E14) within their assigned state. Team members proposed counties for the assigned state, and then teams assembled a list proposed counties.

Step 2. Each Team Selects One📍Priority County

Objective: The objective was for each team to prioritize one county for further analysis.

Each team reviewed the counties proposed in Step 1 and conducted an additional analysis of diabetes mellitus mortality trends over time from 2011–2017 and 2018–2024 for the selected county and state (CDC Wonder, 1999-2020) (CDCWonder, 2018-2024). Teams used these trends alongside the overall mortality rates to compare counties and select one final📍priority county. Some teams took the analysis a step further by also considering county population size when making their final selection.

Limitations and Considerations for Steps 1 and 2:

County selection was based on the states assigned to individual team members and therefore did not represent every U.S. county. There were 19 states missing from the analysis: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Washington, and Wyoming.
Selection methods varied slightly across teams. Teams used a data-guided decision-making process, allowing them to consider the available mortality data and other relevant factors when choosing their final county. Therefore, a county with one of the highest diabetes mellitus mortality rates nationally may not necessarily be selected as a priority county. For example, while all teams considered diabetes mellitus mortality rates, some also incorporated population size into their decision-making.
Many teams use crude mortality rate. Since rates of diabetes type 2 go up with age, measures such as age-adjusted mortality rate would also be effective and would account for differences in age distribution across regions.

Step 2 Outputs.

The priority counties and methods of prioritization are listed below.

An asteriks (*) identifies counties that were also ranked among the top 10 in the U.S. for the highest diabetes mellitus mortality rates.

Justification 1: Highest overall crude mortality rate for diabetes mellitus amongst the team's counties.

📍Caddo Parish, LA*
📍Coahoma, MS*
📍Harmon County, OK*

Justification 2: Highest population number amongst the team's counties.

📍Dougherty County, GA
📍Galax, Virginia
📍Phillips County, AR*
📍Tuscarawas, OH

Step 3. Review Evidence-Based Interventions

Objective: The objective was to identify 🏆 evidence-based programs, policies, and other strategies that may help reduce diabetes mellitus mortality or improve intermediate outcomes, such as preventing diabetes, and improving disease management.

Team members searched PubMed, Cochrane, and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) for evidence supporting interventions related to diabetes mellitus. The review focused on higher levels of scientific evidence, particularly systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Relevant USPSTF recommendations with an A or B grade were considered when identifying potential interventions.

Limitations and Considerations:

The literature search was limited to the selected sources, so relevant evidence available through other databases or publications may not have been included.

Step 4. Identify Nonprofit Organizations Serving📍Priority Counties

Objective: The objective was for each team to identify nonprofit organizations serving the team’s selected📍priority county implementing programs or strategies aligned with 🏆 evidence-based approaches to diabetes prevention, management, or improved health outcomes.

Each of the seven teams researched nonprofit organizations serving its selected 📍priority county. In total, seven counties were examined to identify organizations whose programs or services address diabetes mellitus and align with the 🏆 evidence-based interventions identified in Step 3.

The organizations identified by each team were reviewed to assess their alignment with the project’s Decision Matrix and determine their suitability for further consideration.

Limitations and Considerations:

Relevant nonprofit organizations may not have been identified if information about their programs or services was not readily available through the team member’s online search methods.
Publicly available information may not fully describe an organization’s programs or their alignment with the 🏆 evidence-based strategies identified in Step 3.

Criteria	Description
Basic Criteria
Criteria 1.	Organizations are running programs in📍priority counties. Note: "Priority counties" are must be selected using a data-guided approach that identifies opportunities for prevention.
Criteria 2.	The program(s) being run by the organization within that 📍priority county is an 🏆 evidence-based solution for reducing mortality (or an intermediate outcome).
Criteria 3.	Organizations are nonprofits 501(c)3 to which we can donate (i.e. not a government agency).
Additional Criteria
Criteria 4.	A donation, if given, could be reasonably assumed to be going to: (1) The 📍priority county; (2) The program of interest (i.e. the money would not go to another program or place); (3) both.
Criteria 5.	Organizations are at least 1 year old and have filed IRS 990s for 501(c)3.
Criteria 6.	Organizations have an annual report in which we could see the number of people served.
Criteria 7.	The organization is free from obvious red flags or causes of concern (qualitative assessment).

Step. 5 Review and Donate to Selected Non-Profit Organizations

Each team applied its research to identify nonprofits running 🏆 evidence-based programs that served the 📍priority county. Teams then put forward their chosen organizations for a final review round. Team leaders and the Project Managing Team examined the nominated organizations and reviewed the decision matrix to decide which organizations would receive funding. Organizations that cleared this final approval became the project's donation recipients. Organizations were awarded different amounts of money based on how many additional criteria were met in the decision matrix.

MLK Health Center and Pharmacy on Olive Street (serving Northwest Louisiana including 📍Caddo Parish, LA) delivers diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES) alongside a 12-month lifestyle coaching program. Intensive lifestyle coaching of this kind is backed by the Community Preventive Services Task Force's findings on lifestyle interventions for type 2 diabetes patients (Community Preventive Services Task Force, 2017), and aligns with USPSTF's recommendation to screen for prediabetes and refer patients to effective lifestyle-based interventions (U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, 2021).

Delta Health Alliance (serving 29 counties across Mississippi, including 📍Coahoma County, MS) runs the Delta BLUES program, which works to lower illness and death rates in low-income, rural Delta communities through medication management, nutrition education, and telehealth specialty care, with results tracked via a University of Memphis evaluation. This community-based, care-coordination model reflects the diabetes-prevention approaches the Community Preventive Services Task Force has found effective when they engage community health workers (Community Preventive Services Task Force, 2017).

Organization	🏆 Evidence-based intervention	Region served and 📍Priority County
MLK Health Center and Pharmacy on Olive Street	Diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES), screening, and 12 month lifestyle coaching & intervention.	Serving Northwest Louisiana, including 📍Caddo Parish, LA
Delta Health Alliance	Medication management, nutrition education, and telehealth specialty care, with outcomes tracked by a University of Memphis evaluation.	Serving 29 Counties of Mississippi, including 📍Coahoma County, MS

Two of the proposed organizations passed the three basic decision matrix criteria. One of the organizations, MLK Health Center and Pharmacy on Olive Street, met all seven decision-matrix criteria. We believe that a donation to their Living Well With Diabetes Program fund will be used to reduce diabetes mortality.

Based on our overall evaluation, we decided to donate $300 to the MLK Health Center and Pharmacy on Olive Street for their Living Well With Diabetes Program and $50 to the Delta Health Alliance. We chose $50 because while we were unsure that a donation could preferentially go to the Delta BLUES (Better Living Utilizing Engagement Strategies) program, we wanted to support the work of Delta Health Alliance.

The Donation was made in August 2026.

In August 2026, we gave a Data-Guided Donation to 2 organizations: MLK Health Center and Pharmacy on Olive Street and Delta Health Alliance. Websites, logos, and images in the screenshot above are property of respective organizations.

Future Directions: Community Input

The current 10-week timeline was brisk, with a donation occurring days after the proposal occurred. A great direction for future projects would be to include voices from the communities.

References:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. (2026). Multiple Cause of Death by Single Race, 2018–2024 [Data set]. CDC WONDER.https://wonder.cdc.gov/mcd-icd10-expanded.html

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. (2021). Multiple Cause of Death, 1999–2020 [Data set]. CDC WONDER. https://wonder.cdc.gov/mcd-icd10.html

Community Preventive Services Task Force. (2017). Diabetes prevention and control: Intensive lifestyle interventions for patients with type 2 diabetes. The Community Guide. https://www.thecommunityguide.org/findings/diabetes-intensive-lifestyle-interventions-patients-type-2-diabetes.html

Community Preventive Services Task Force. (2017). Diabetes prevention: Interventions engaging community health workers. The Community Guide. https://www.thecommunityguide.org/findings/diabetes-prevention-interventions-engaging-community-health-workers.html

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. (2021). Prediabetes and type 2 diabetes: Screening. https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/screening-for-prediabetes-and-type-2-diabetes

Methods Author List:

Diana Saad, MPH (LinkedIn)

Tracy Flood MD PhD (LinkedIn)

A huge thank you to the leaders and team members that made this data-guided donation possible!

Thank you Diana Saad, MPH, DrPH Candidate, for summarizing the methods and thank you to the track and team leads: Vincent Tran, Breanna M., Thao Tang, MPH, Fu Zeng, MPH, Elijah B., Nowrin Nisa, Mariella S., Nataly A., Laura W., and Risa Gehringer, MPH for making this project possible.