Toronto — June 16, 2026 — NexJ Health is proud to announce that its partner, Black Creek Community Health Centre (BCCHC), has been named a Grand Prize Winner of the Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Challenge, receiving $1.25 million in funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). The award recognizes BCCHC’s Health Coaching to Wellness program - powered by the NexJ Connected Wellness platform - as one of Canada’s most promising models for community-based chronic disease prevention.
At a time when millions of Ontarians remain without a family physician, Community Health Centres like BCCHC offer a proven path forward. The Health Coaching to Wellness program trains community members with lived experience as health coaches, extending the reach of the healthcare system directly into the communities that need it most. The model is designed to be adapted to align to the needs of the communities in which it’s deployed, with a focus on overcoming barriers to adopting behaviours that prevent diabetes, and to make connections and referrals to existing community resources. Community health coaches are paid to also drive recruitment, meeting people where they are, talking through the program, and the importance of diabetes prevention.
What makes the program uniquely effective is its attention to the social determinants of health. In Northwest Toronto’s Black Creek community, factors like income, food insecurity, housing instability, and systemic inequity are key drivers of chronic disease risk. By recruiting coaches from within the community and delivering culturally relevant, equity-informed support through the NexJ Connected Wellness platform, the program meets participants where they are - enabling the sustained behaviour change that helps prevent disease before it begins.
The results speak for themselves. Participants have shown measurable improvements in HbA1c, blood glucose management, and CANRisk scores. In some cases, individuals previously diagnosed with pre-diabetes reported their physicians had indicated their conditions reversed. Beyond individual outcomes, the program demonstrates how a stronger focus on prevention can help alleviate pressure on Ontario’s acute care system over time by supporting more appropriate use of healthcare resources and enabling physicians to focus on complex patient needs, by helping overcome systemic barriers to health system access, with a heavy emphasis on improving health equity.
“In Northwest Toronto, we see firsthand how systemic barriers shape health outcomes every day. What makes this program so powerful is that it meets people where they are, integrating culturally relevant, community-led support with accessible digital tools,” said Cheryl Prescod, Executive Director at BCCHC. “If a model like this can succeed here in Black Creek, it can succeed in communities across Ontario and beyond.”
With this federal recognition secured, NexJ Health and BCCHC are positioned to scale the program across Ontario. Broad adoption by Community Health Centres would expand preventative care capacity, advance health equity, and reduce long-term costs across the system. The case is clear: community-led, digitally enabled prevention is not a future aspiration – it is available for rapid uptake today.
NexJ Health Inc. is a provider of patient-facing population health management solutions, specializing in personalized health coaching and self-management tools. Our AI-enabled platform, NexJ Connected Wellness, empowers individuals to take control of their health by offering tailored interventions, goal-setting, and real-time support across various health conditions. With a focus on improving outcomes and reducing costs, NexJ Health integrates evidence-based practices with cutting-edge technology to deliver a seamless experience for patients, healthcare providers, and organizations. For more information about NexJ Health visit www.nexjhealth.com, e-mail info@nexjhealth.com, or call 416-227-3700.
About Black Creek Community Health Centre
Black Creek Community Health Centre (Black Creek CHC) is a respected multi-service agency serving Toronto’s North York West and adjacent communities since 1989. Black Creek CHC works with individuals, families, and organizations to deliver comprehensive health services and programs that enable community members to receive the best care, where they live. Best known for their holistic healthcare approach, Black Creek CHC brings together and relies on the continued support of government, healthcare, and community partners to address the unique needs and challenges of the community.