MINNEAPOLIS (March 18, 2008) – UnitedHealthcare, a UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) company, is partnering with International Diabetes Center at Park Nicollet (IDC) to implement IDC's evidence-based education and treatment program, Diabetes Connections, at medical facilities throughout the country.

Diabetes Connections is designed to help health care organizations improve outcomes for people with diabetes. The program, which engages providers, staff and patients in enhancing diabetes care and education while decreasing diabetes-related complications, includes:

• Organizational Assessment that helps an organization obtain a clearer picture of its current state of diabetes care and education, creates a vision for the future and develops a plan for implementation.
• Staged Diabetes Management™ implementation that focuses on customizing and standardizing an organization's therapeutic approach to diabetes management, emphasizing a team approach to patient care and actively engaging patients in managing their disease. This evidence-based approach has been used by multiple organizations worldwide with documented improvement in patient outcomes.
• The BASICS patient education curriculum that includes tools to teach people with diabetes how to set goals and stay motivated. For example, the Diabetes Success Plan enables patients to record their progress in meeting goals so they stay focused on successes rather than setbacks. The Life Balance Pyramid teaches immediate coping skills, daily supportive activities and lifelong foundations that help patients deal with stress and challenges.

"We believe Diabetes Connections is a catalyst toward improving how we care for people with diabetes," said Sam Ho, M.D., executive vice president and chief medical officer of UnitedHealthcare. "The program focuses on professional education, team building and organizational development to guide health care teams toward better health outcomes for people with diabetes."

Diabetes Connections is a comprehensive initiative that takes about 15 to 18 months to implement. Physicians and support staff at each of the pilot facilities, and all diabetes patients, including UnitedHealthcare members with diabetes, are eligible to take part in the program.

Participation helps medical centers and their health care teams meet the criteria for the Diabetes Physician Recognition Program, developed in collaboration with the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) and American Diabetes Association (ADA). Individual health care providers or groups of physicians are recognized for meeting or exceeding specified benchmarks of diabetes management.

"As the number of individuals with diabetes continues to increase, the strain on the health care system can become acute if we do not find better ways to help them control their diabetes and prevent the very severe complications that often accompany it. Our collaboration with UnitedHealthcare on this pilot program is a logical step," said Richard Bergenstal, M.D., executive director of the International Diabetes Center. "By using a multi-disciplinary approach that engages the entire care team, IDC customizes the Diabetes Connections program for each site based on the facility's infrastructure and existing capabilities."

According to the ADA, nearly 21 million children and adults in the United States, or 7 percent of the population, have diabetes – with nearly one-third unaware that they have the disease. Diabetes is associated with an increased risk for a number of serious, sometimes life-threatening complications, including heart disease and stroke, high blood pressure, and kidney and nervous systems diseases.

"With one out of every 10 health care dollars in the United States being spent on diabetes and its complications, the American Diabetes Association encourages efforts or collaborations that seek to improve the lives of people affected by diabetes," said Richard Kahn, Ph.D., ADA's chief scientific and medical officer.

To date, UnitedHealthcare and the International Diabetes Center have launched programs at the Cleveland Clinic for its 12 facilities in Ohio; Wheaton Franciscan Medical Group and its nearly 50 office locations and four hospitals in Southeast Wisconsin; and the 12 medical clinics that comprise the Watson Clinic in Florida.

About International Diabetes Center at Park Nicollet
Park Nicollet Health Services is an integrated care system that includes Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital, Park Nicollet Clinic, Park Nicollet Foundation and Park Nicollet Institute. Park Nicollet Health Services is based in St. Louis Park, Minn., and has more than 8,200 employees, including 645 physicians on staff. International Diabetes Center at Park Nicollet provides world-class patient-centered team care, education and clinical research to meet the needs of people with diabetes, their families and the health professionals who care for them. The center is recognized internationally for its range of clinical and educational programs, products and services that focus on translating new findings into clinical practice.

About UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare provides a full spectrum of consumer-oriented health benefit plans and services. The company organizes access to quality, affordable health care services on behalf of more than 25 million individual consumers, contracting directly with more than 560,000 physicians and care professionals and 4,800 hospitals nationwide to offer them broad, convenient access to services nationwide. UnitedHealthcare is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company.