For more than a decade, El Camino Health has worked with Community Benefit partner Gardner Health Services, supporting its Down with Diabetes program. Discover how the program offers case management, supplies, bilingual care and more for underserved youth and adults with or at risk of diabetes and prediabetes in the San Jose community.
National Nutrition Month in March was a helpful reminder that nutrition plays an essential role in preventing and managing conditions like diabetes. Yet for many in our community, the cost of care, management and education remains a significant barrier to health. That’s why for nearly a decade, the Community Benefit program has supported Gardner Health Services, a Federally Qualified Health Center that serves more than 47,000 individuals.
With funding from El Camino Health, Gardner Health Services leads the Down with Diabetes program, which provides comprehensive case management, critical supplies and multilingual diabetes education for both youth and adults in San Jose. The program primarily serves a Latino and Hispanic population. More than 86% of their patients live at or below 200% of the federal poverty threshold, and many are uninsured and speak a primary language other than English.
As part of Down with Diabetes, prediabetic and diabetic participants receive essential diabetes care and management services at one of three locations in San Jose: Gardner Health Center, St. James Health or CompreCare Health Center. Services include but aren’t limited to:
- Assessments with a bilingual registered dietitian (RDN) or certified diabetes educator (CDE)
- Case management by a health coach
- Food vouchers for produce
- Glucose monitors and an annual supply of strips and lancets for uninsured patients
- Nutrition education workshops
- Nutrition and exercise treatment plans
This program directly supports individuals with or at risk of diabetes, which is a top health need identified in the fiscal year 2026 Implementation Strategy Report and Community Benefit Plan.
See the complete list of fiscal year 2026 grant partners.
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