Rural Type 2 Diabetes Remission Initiative Receives Shared Care Funding

The Institute for Personalized Therapeutic Nutrition (IPTN) is proud to be a key partner in the Rural Type 2 Diabetes Remission Initiative, a two-year project led by the Rural Coordination Centre of BC (RCCbc) that will bring evidence-based, food-first diabetes remission supports to the rural communities of Tumbler Ridge and Port Alberni. Earlier this year the initiative received $200,000 in Shared Care funding to support implementation and community-based care planning.

The project builds on previous work supported by Healthcare Excellence Canada, where RCCbc, IPTN, the Institute for Health System Transformation and Sustainability (IHSTS), healthcare providers, Indigenous partners, and community leaders came together to identify local priorities and design services that reflect the unique needs of rural communities.

As a key project partner, IPTN will work to bring evidence-based therapeutic nutrition strategies into frontline care in rural communities. Drawing on years of experience advancing food-first approaches to chronic disease management, IPTN will support provider education, patient resources, and community-based programming aimed at helping individuals improve their health and, where appropriate, work toward type 2 diabetes remission.

“IPTN was founded on the belief that nutrition should be a foundational component of healthcare,” said Sean McKelvey, CEO of IPTN. “This initiative gives rural communities access to practical, evidence-based tools that can empower people to take an active role in improving their health while receiving support from their local healthcare teams.”

The potential impact extends well beyond type 2 diabetes. By helping people better understand the relationship between food and health, the project aims to improve quality of life, reduce the burden of chronic disease, and strengthen local healthcare capacity through collaborative, team-based care. Successes and lessons learned in Tumbler Ridge and Port Alberni may also help inform future programs in other rural and Indigenous communities across British Columbia.

“This is about creating sustainable change at the community level,” added McKelvey. “When local providers, Indigenous partners, community organizations, and patients work together, we can create meaningful improvements that last long after the project funding ends.”

RCCbc is a provincial organization dedicated to improving health outcomes in rural, remote, and Indigenous communities through collaboration, innovation, and community-led solutions. Funding for the initiative comes through the Shared Care Committee, a partnership between Doctors of BC and the Government of British Columbia that supports projects designed to improve coordination, collaboration, and patient outcomes across the healthcare system.

The Rural Type 2 Diabetes Remission Initiative represents an important opportunity to demonstrate how community-driven, food-first healthcare can improve the lives of people living with chronic disease while building a stronger, more resilient rural healthcare systems.