CHPPR-Partner the DAWN Center Provides Diabetes and Chronic Disease Prevention and Management Services throughout Houston

The DAWN (Diabetes and Wellness Network) Center at the Houston Health Department has spent more than 10 years providing Houstonians with free health education and other services to manage and prevent diabetes and other chronic diseases. The UTHealth Houston Center for Health Promotion and Prevention Research (CHPPR) is currently partnering with the DAWN Center on a research project to connect patients with lifestyle change programs to prevent the development of diabetes.

"We pride ourselves on meeting people where they are,” said Elizabeth Appleton, Chief Nurse and Program Manager at the Dawn Center.  “We understand that people can be in so many different stages with their chronic disease management, and we try to be a one-stop-shop that has all the services they might need. Wherever they are in their health journey, we can meet them right there.”

The Dawn Center’s free programs and services are designed to address the whole health of the individual. They offer informational diabetes and hypertension courses, diabetes self-management education, nutrition education, fitness instruction, counseling, and more. DAWN also provides linkage to resources like the Houston Food Bank to help people address issues like food accessibility and housing security, which serve as barriers to successful health management.

“We don’t force our mission on them, we don’t just tell people what to do,” said Appleton. “We want to give people the tools they need to be successful and to increase the quality of their health. We work in partnership with the people in the community to make sure we’re meeting their needs.”

DAWN’s services are offered free of charge and without the need for insurance at their four physical locations across Houston: Third Ward MSC, Alief Neighborhood Center, Acres Homes MSC, and Denver Harbor MSC. Their educators also provide their services through community outreach wherever they are needed, including in clinics, community centers, and assisted living facilities. DAWN even works with providers and other partners throughout the city to offer referrals and to expand the reach of their services.

DAWN is currently collaborating with CHPPR on the “Improving the Health of Americans through Prevention and Management of Diabetes, Heart Disease, and Stroke” research project, which aims to identify patients at risk for developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease and connect them to prevention programs. This project is part of a longstanding collaboration between researchers and providers at UTHealth Houston with the DAWN Center.

“UTHealth Houston and DAWN go back for years. We’ve collaborated on medication management classes, providing resources to the community, all kinds of events, and we’ve been involved in a lot of research. That unity has been very valuable especially because we’re so close in the area. It’s been a great partnership.”

To learn more about the DAWN Center and their services and to view a calendar of upcoming events, visit the DAWN Center website.