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Background: Compared with white persons, African Americans have a greater incidence of diabetes, decreased control, and higher rates of microvascular complications. A peer mentorship model could be a scalable approach to improving control in this population and reducing disparities in diabetic outcomes. Objective: To determine whether peer mentors or financial incentives are superior to usual care in helping African American veterans decrease their hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels. Design: A 6-month randomized, controlled trial.(ClinicalTrials. gov registration number: NCT01125956) Setting: Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Patients: African American veterans aged 50 to 70 years with persistently poor diabetes control. Intervention: 118 patients were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups: usual care, a peer mentoring group, and a financial incentives group. Usual care patients were notified of …