Preventing Diabetes: A New Approach Through Telehealth with Laurence Girard, the CEO and founder of Fruit Street Health

One in three U.S. adults are pre-diabetic, yet 80% remain unaware of their condition. In this episode, Laurence Girard, the CEO and founder of Fruit Street Health, shares his journey as a healthcare entrepreneur, raising over $33 million in equity financing and delivering the CDC's Diabetes Prevention Program via telehealth. Initially offering telemedicine software for dietitians, Fruit Street pivoted to diabetes prevention based on advice from a Fitbit executive, resulting in a program that reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes by over 58% and is more effective than metformin. Despite facing a setback from a competing distributor, Fruit Street’s program, which includes live group video chats with dietitians, food tracking, and partnerships with LabCorp and Modified Health, has received Medicare funding and a grant from the American Diabetes Association. Laurence emphasizes the importance of good science, patient experience, and prevention in healthcare and encourages providers and payers to support CDC-recognized diabetes prevention programs to reverse prediabetes. Tune in and learn how Fruit Street is making strides in diabetes prevention and public health! Resources:  Watch the entire interview here. Connect and follow Laurence Girard on LinkedIn. Learn more about Fruit Street on their LinkedIn and website.