The Ben and Catherine Ivy Foundation Funds Society of St. Vincent de Paul Diabetes Program

Ahwatukee Foothills News

Scottsdale, Ariz. (July 22, 2013) – The Ben & Catherine Ivy Foundation (Ivy Foundation) announced its funding of the Family Wellness Program managed by the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Phoenix. The Ivy Foundation is the largest privately funded brain cancer research foundation in North America; Catherine Ivy is the founder and president of the Ivy Foundation.

The Family Wellness Program is a culturally responsive diabetes intervention program which provides education, lifestyle improvement skills, medical, and counseling services to adults, children, and their families who have been diagnosed with diabetes and pre-diabetes and its associated comorbidities (two or more medical conditions present simultaneously in a patient). The overall goal is to empower these families with the knowledge, tools and skills to make health a priority throughout their lives.

Specific program objectives include:

  1. Affecting lifestyle choices in food, fitness, and self-efficacy that enhance and establish ongoing positive health behaviors;
  2. Increasing knowledge and skills in recognizing, managing and improving risk factors, disease, and quality of life throughout the life span;
  3. Measuring health changes through objective and subjective instruments.
  4. Evaluating effectiveness of and fine-tuning the model using community- based participatory research;
  5. Responding to the increasing need for intervention by developing competent professionals who can replicate the model throughout the community.

“While we typically only fund brain cancer research programs, we knew the impact of this program was so strong and the need so great in our local community that we chose to support it,” said Ivy. “We also learn from the research of other diseases and this gives us a fresh perspective.”

“There is proven success with this program. The majority of participants have demonstrated significant improvements in their health as seen in laboratory markers. Patients are healthier. They come back as alumni to attend classes in order to receive continued social support for their lifestyle changes from program staff, volunteers and fellow participants,” said Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Phoenix, Executive Director Steve Zabilski. “We are grateful to the Ivy Foundation for their support of this high-impact program.”

About the Society of St. Vincent de Paul

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is an international non-profit organization dedicated to serving the poor and providing others with the opportunity to serve. The Phoenix Diocesan Council has been assisting central and northern Arizona families since 1946. Programs include services for the homeless, medical and dental care for the working poor, charity dining rooms, thrift stores, a transitional housing shelter and general assistance for individuals in need. For more information: http://www.stvincentdepaul.net.

About The Ben & Catherine Ivy Foundation 

The Ivy Foundation is the nation’s largest privately funded foundation with a mission of improving survival and quality of life for people diagnosed with a brain tumor. The Ivy Foundation’s approach is to fund Patient Focused Research (PFR) in gliomas to improve diagnostics and treatments for patients. In its inception year, 2008, the Ivy Foundation supported $10 million in research, which embodied the concept of Patient-Focused Research. Patient-Focused Research (PFR) keeps the patient and relevant clinical issues at the center of every research project. More information about the Ivy Foundation can be found at www.IvyFoundation.orgwww.IvyFoundation.wordpress.comwww.facebook.IvyFoundation, or @IvyFoundation.

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