The Diabetes Bus Initiative

Our Mission Is To...

Provide access to quality diabetes education and support to those living with diabetes in underserved communities or underserved populations in North Carolina.

So WHERE you live doesn’t determine HOW you live with diabetes.

We ARE The Diabetes Bus Initiative

In 2000, our founder and a small group of people with diabetes set out to address a need. People in rural North Carolina had little to no access to diabetes self-management classes and hospital programs offering these classes were closing despite the rise in diabetes.

Diabetes is complicated- ask anyone you know with diabetes. Day-to-day things like eating, activity level, exercise, stress, and medications all must be monitored for their effect on blood glucose. Diabetes gets more difficult to manage the longer you have it. It is often misunderstood and people with diabetes are sometimes blamed for having caused the diabetes by their lifestyle.

People new to diabetes and people who face worsening blood glucose management need help navigating this condition by someone who knows about it. Our educators are all Certified Diabetes Educators and are highly qualified at helping people learn the skills to manage their diabetes while maintaining their quality of life. We offer free classes in small town hospitals and doctor's offices in rural NC.

We need your continued support so that we can meet our goal of reaching all of North Carolina by 2013. Last year, 84% of all expenses were spent on diabetes education programs to improve the health outcomes and quality of life of North Carolinian's living with diabetes.

Feature Story

Diabetes Management Solutions, home of The Diabetes Bus Initiative®, received one of nine GlaxoSmithKline IMPACT Awards of $40,000 for its efforts in underserved areas of central North Carolina. The award was presented at a ceremony Dec. 10, 2009 by GSK in partnership with the Triangle Community Foundation.

“The IMPACT Award is a tremendous recognition of what we have accomplished to date, and I believe it shows confidence in our mission of expanding free diabetes self-management education and support to underserved areas throughout the state,” said Hanchette.

“All of the GlaxoSmithKline first annual IMPACT Award winners are committed to the idea that everyone should have better access to healthcare and that no one should fall through the cracks. These organizations are on the front lines as change agents, working to build stronger and healthier communities. They are all deeply committed to their work and clients,” said Mary Linda Andrews, GlaxoSmithKline director, Community Partnerships.

Blue Cross Blue Shield Featured Grantee

DMS was a featured grantee in the 2009 Annual Report of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation. "The Strength of Our Communities: Stories of Health and Hope in North Carolina" hosted by Bill Friday