The Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation challenges the University of Utah and local community to raise $3 million—which the foundation will generously match—in support of Driving Out Diabetes, A Larry H. Miller Family Wellness Initiative.
The Driving Out Diabetes Initiative aims to reduce the burden of diabetes across the state of Utah through community health and wellness programs, innovations in clinical care, and discovery research.
Thanks to a challenge grant opportunity from the Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation, the initiative now has an opportunity to significantly expand through new programs and service areas. In the first four years, Driving Out Diabetes has successfully developed and launched innovative programs that have reached more than 128,000 lives across Utah, Idaho, and Arizona. The next phase of Driving Out Diabetes will extend the reach and deepen the impact of these programs.
"We are grateful that the Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation has generously provided us with this opportunity," said Dr. Michael L. Good, Senior Vice President of Health Sciences, CEO of University of Utah Health, and Executive Dean of the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine. "The foundation and the family have been tireless champions of Driving Out Diabetes since its inception, and they continue to lead the way as we expand this initiative to work toward our eventual goal of a diabetes-free Utah."
With the support of the Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation, Driving Out Diabetes launched in 2017. The initiative has grown each year of its existence, as private and public partners have made it possible to care for an increasing number of clients. Among the program's many accomplishments:
- The Wellness Bus has screened more than 4,000 people at-risk for chronic disease, and provided more than 15,000 COVID-19 tests since 2020.
- School programs have taught more than 90,000 students on how to develop healthy habits.
- Health coaching programs have guided more than 2,000 people to implement and customize lifestyle changes that have been shown to last.
- And research funding for diabetes at U of U Health reached a record high of $43 million, a growth of more than 26 percent over the course of a few years.
"Since the beginning, we have had a commitment to continual, sustainable improvement—building on what is working and adapting other areas to better serve the needs of our community," said Angie Fagerlin, PhD, director of the Driving Out Diabetes Initiative. "Thanks to the continued support of our many partners, including the Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation, we will continue to improve the health and well-being of thousands of Utahns."