Blue Circle Health - New Year's Update

I'm the CEO of Blue Circle Health, 501(c)(3) clinical care, education, and support program designed to close the gap between what people with type 1 diabetes need to thrive versus what they get from our fee for service care system. The program is free to adults and does not submit for reimbursement - opening the door to truly designing a system based on what's best for people.

And those designs — from who you hire, to the care model, to the information systems — turn out to be very different when your north star, in fact your only star, is improving the health of people.

Here's my year end update sharing some of the progress made:

Happy New Year,

As we look back on 2024, I’m taking a minute to reflect on how unique and special this moment in time is for Blue Circle Health.

This time last year, we had just concluded a pilot of our care model and we were preparing to open enrollment to people across Florida. One year later, we’ve cared for more than 450 people in 5 states. We provided more than 160 people with access to free continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) and related educational support. More than 180 people received financial support to help them afford their T1D-related drugs and supplies. We helped people get and use insurance, find housing, and afford critical medication. We cared for, educated, and empowered them. We were there for people with T1D in ways they deserve but were never before available.

According to the people we serve, we have improved and even saved lives. When asked, the overwhelming majority would refer us to friends and family, leading to unheard of net promoter scores of 91 and 93. Our first analysis of 47 people that completed the program showed that we reduced diabetes distress in all 10 source categories. We are beginning to show that simply designing care based on what’s best for people can make a difference.

This spring we discussed the importance of sharing what we’re learning, of showing people what’s possible, and of becoming a beacon for the T1D community and beyond. We laid out a plan to be “in the room” and we set our goals accordingly. We said, “We’ll know we’re successful when conversations about improving T1D care include Blue Circle.” It was an ambitious goal for an organization that, at the time, had no brand recognition and no outcomes to speak of.

This week we will submit our first scientific abstract for the American Diabetes Association’s (ADA) Scientific Sessions. Last week, we were selected as finalists in the ADA’s 2025 Team-Based Care Spotlight Challenge that showcases innovation in clinical practices. We are partnering with national T1D organizations, the media is reaching out to share our story, we’re hosting dozens of calls a week with stakeholders, and hundreds of applicants are responding to our job postings. We are learning there is a growing army of people that believe that T1D care can and should be better. We’re going to do everything in our power to support it.

It’s important to recognize that this extraordinary progress was the result of extraordinary effort by so many. The Blue Circle Health Board of Directors has encouraged the pursuit of ambitious goals from day one. The Blue Circle Health team has pursued their work with a daily commitment to excellence. They ask and answer tough questions, dig deeper, revisit assumptions, listen to the data, prioritize, and reprioritize. The results of their hard work are reflected in the words of appreciation from those we serve. Finally, credit and appreciation is due to the hundreds of partners that responded to our introductory emails, listened to our story, introduced us to their colleagues and patients, and helped us get better by sharing their feedback.

Thank you to everyone that contributed in 2024 in so many ways. I personally couldn’t be more proud or grateful to be a part of this team, this mission, and what’s to come.

Sincerely,

Leonard D'Avolio, PhD

CEO, Blue Circle Health

Asst. Professor, Harvard Medical School

Asst. Professor, Mass General Brigham

PS - If you’d like more frequent updates, we share progress, lessons, and participant stories on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube and I add my perspective on Instagram as well.

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Hear from Members of the Team

• Diabetes Connections: I discuss the mission and vision behind Blue Circle Health on Stacey Simms’ popular diabetes podcast

• Juicebox Podcast: Our Community Engagement Director, Sara Lerner, describes her journey with T1D and Blue Circle Health in this episode of Scott Benner’s popular T1D community podcast
• Type 1 Diabetes in Communities of Color: Insights on Screening, Access, and Bias through the National Minority Quality Forum featuring our VP of Clinical Care and Endocrinologist, Dr. Monica Gomberg ?