Table 1.

Stakeholder Advisory Board Engaged in the PaTH to Health: Diabetes Study

Stakeholder Groups	Rationale for Inclusion
Patients  (Diversity in race, age, SES, rural/urban)	Patients are the most experienced in living with the day to day challenges and success of diabetes management and/or overcoming barriers associated with weight loss. Patient partners can ensure the patient voice is present in study design, outcomes selection, and dissemination of patient-centered materials and results.
Primary care clinicians  Representing all PaTH network institutions  (Diversity in rural/urban)	Primary care is an ideal setting for weight interventions and our clinicians are on the front lines of policy changes for counseling coverage. They can help researchers understand what barriers and facilitators exist to counseling implementation at their respective practices and also translate our study’s findings at the practice level.
Hospitals and health systems  University of Pittsburgh  Johns Hopkins Healthcare LLC	Internationally-renowned researchers in diabetes offer important insight into shaping the research in all aspects as well as assistance in dissemination. Johns Hopkins Healthcare LLC designs and implements several population health management programs for a variety of diagnoses including diabetes. Preventing diabetes and improving diabetes outcomes are one of their top priorities. Understanding the impact of the state’s decision to expand Medicaid is imperative to informing their future policy decisions and is directly relevant to their mission.
Community-based services  Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Workers	This Association represents and supports the largest network of primary care providers in the Commonwealth. They can utilize their far-reaching connections to reach those with or at risk of type 2 diabetes.
Policy makers  Pennsylvania Department of Health  Maryland Department of Health	Improving diabetes prevention and care for their citizens through various initiatives is a focus of both Departments of Health. Understanding the impact of expanded coverage in these states will be important to inform future policy decisions. They can play a significant role in changes made at the policy level as a result of our study’s findings.
National Professional Organizations  The Obesity Society  American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP)	Professional organizations are well positioned to disseminate our study findings at regional and national levels. The Obesity Society is the leading professional society dedicated to better understanding, preventing and treating obesity and is committed to keeping the medical community and public informed of new advances. The AAFP assists in realizing overall strategies for achieving improved primary care for the nation, uniquely positioning them to serve as a study stakeholder.