CCI: Building Partnerships; Creating Impact
- Teresa Dougherty
- Sep 2
- 3 min read
In health care, outcomes depend on more than medicine. For Chronic Care International (CCI), relationships are at the heart of progress — between doctors and patients, within communities, and through partners who share our mission. That spirit of collaboration fueled a three-year pilot launched in early 2023 with Unbound, a global nonprofit based in Kansas City that connects people with resources to overcome poverty. The pilot was designed to test whether CCI’s model of chronic disease care could meaningfully improve the lives of underserved populations, and whether such care could be sustained through a sponsorship approach — an area where Unbound has established both expertise and reputation.
Specifically, the pilot sought to answer three questions:
Can CCI’s model improve the health outcomes of poor elders living in the Philippines?
Can the care be delivered economically enough for a regular sponsorship donation of $40 per month?
Would U.S. sponsors with diabetes see some improvement in their own well-being by participating?
To answer these questions, leadership from CCI and Unbound met last month to assess progress on the pilot. The answer to question No. 1 is clear: the pilot has succeeded in improving the health of the 170 participating elders. According to Dr. Hans Dethlefs, president and medical director of CCI, participants achieved a 23% increase in diabetes control and a 40% improvement in blood pressure.
“For these elders — who live in extreme poverty — this means they are far less likely to suffer the additional burdens of heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure, blindness, and leg amputations.”
Importantly, the pilot has stayed within budget. Medications, lab tests, staff salaries, and transportation represent the main costs, and despite the logistical challenges of importing large quantities of medications to the Philippines, the Filipino health care team has successfully managed the program’s economics.
The third question — whether U.S. sponsors with diabetes benefit personally — is still under evaluation in a study with the University of North Carolina. As that study continues, CCI and Unbound are looking ahead. Indeed, the tremendous success of the pilot thus far has led the two organizations to commit to continuing the project beyond three years and to explore potential avenues for expansion.
“The big question for any pilot is whether it will continue long-term,” says CCI’s Dr. Dethlefs. “We’re grateful to Unbound for a valuable partnership in finding ways to best serve individuals facing both poverty and chronic diseases like diabetes.”
Driving Force
One of the driving forces behind the success of the CCI-Unbound pilot is the dedicated Filipino health care team caring for the program’s patients. Under the mentorship of CCI physician Dr. Jeremy Howe, the team — composed of five health promoters, a nurse, and a physician — has adapted CCI’s disease care model, originally developed in the Dominican Republic, to the unique culture of the Philippines, building strong relationships and fostering community support.
At the forefront of this effort is Dr. Ma. Isabella Bunag (Doc Mais), a junior faculty member at the Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health in Pasig, Philippines. Her experience spans clinical practice as an ER and ward physician, company physician, and researcher in health systems and policy.
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