Due to the growing admissions of complicated unregulated diabetic patients in the hospital, the growing number of amputations, dialysis patients, and thereby rising costs of the execution organization General Sickness Costs Insurance (UO AZV), it became clear that more attention and support had to be offered to primary care, partly through education, promoting self-care management, and more public education about diabetes care, called the Transmural Diabetes Care (TMDZ) project.

As a result, Practice Supporters in General Practitioner Care (POH) were introduced to support the AZV and the White Yellow Cross Foundation Aruba (WGK) in the TMDZ project.

In July 2012, the first 3 POHs were hired and deployed at 6 general practices. Gradually, this number has increased, and by 2014 we were quickly talking about 6 POHs.

After positive and encouraging results, it was decided in 2016 to move from a pilot project to national implementation. The WGK hired 7 new employees and the first training for POH in diabetic care took place under the guidance of the Breederode Institute. In 2017, 13 employees were trained as the first official POHs in diabetic care. One POH was placed at 2 general practitioners.

By the end of 2017, 9 more POHs were trained, and by March 2018, Aruba had 22 officially trained POHs (including the POH coordinator) in both diabetic care and Cardiovascular Risk Management (CVRM). As this group has grown over the years and will continue to grow, a POH coordinator was appointed in February 2017, in the person of Mrs. Jasmira Mora.

In 2020, we had a total of 34 trained POHs (including the coordinator), of which 30 POHs were deployed at 35 general practitioners. The ultimate goal is that each general practitioner has 1 POH who will guide and support both the diabetic and cardiovascular patient in their illness.

On March 4, 2022, we officially founded our professional association POH297

We have a broad spectrum of stakeholders. First and foremost, of course, are our patients. For their well-being, welfare, and health, we tirelessly commit ourselves. We primarily focus on patients with DM-2 / CVRM and in the near future, the group of vulnerable elderly and Asthma / COPD patients will also be added.

Additionally, we collaborate with general practitioners (HAVA), the assistants, pharmacies, specialists/ HOH, dietitians, pedicurists, podiatrists, diabetes nurses (HOH), physiotherapists, Imsan, White Yellow Cross Aruba

Public Health Inspection, DVG, and IBISA.

An online social map with the stakeholders is updated every 3 months.