News

Beebe Medical Center's Diabetes Education Program Merits ADA Recognition

11/17/06

Beebe Medical Center's diabetes self-management education program has been awarded continued recognition from the American Diabetes Association for offering high-quality education to the patients it serves. The program is offered through Beebe Medical Center's Wound Care Services/ Diabetes Management outpatient location at the Longneck Health Campus on Longneck Road in the Millsboro area.

The ADA Education Recognition effort, begun in the fall of 1986, is a voluntary process that assures that approved education programs have met national standards for Diabetes Self-Management Education Programs. Programs that achieve recognition status have a staff of knowledgeable health professionals who can provide up-to-date information about diabetes management.

We are honored that the ADA continues to acknowledge and support our program to improve diabetes education within our community and for those with diabetes, says Tina Trout, APRN, BC, CDE, Diabetes Course Coordinator for Beebe Medical Center. ADA Recognition gives professionals a national standard by which to measure the quality of the services we provide. It also helps consumers to identify quality programs.

According to the ADA, self-management education is an essential component of diabetes treatment. One consequence of compliance with the national standards is the greater consistency in the quality and quantity of education offered to people with diabetes. The participant in an ADA Recognized program will be taught, as needed, self-care skills that will promote better management of his or her diabetes treatment regimen.

The announcement by ADA comes as the organization and Beebe Medical Center acknowledge November as National Diabetes Month and encourage the public to learn more about diabetes and the risks associated with the disease. Nearly 21 million children and adults in the United States have diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association. It is the fifth deadliest disease in the nation and it has no cure. Diabetes is a serious disease that affects the body's ability to produce or respond properly to insulin, a hormone that allows blood glucose to enter the cells of the body and be used for energy. Improved management of this chronic condition requires knowledge to live a healthy lifestyle 24 hours a day.

Beebe Medical Center Longneck Health Campus offers many educational programs and outpatient services to help people with diabetes. A class series of 4 sessions is offered two times each month for persons newly diagnosed and those who have limited knowledge of managing their disease. The 4 session classes provide the ADA standard curriculum for healthy eating, increasing activity, monitoring blood glucose, taking medications, healthy coping, problem solving and preventing complications. Several new single session educational classes are now offered including: a blood glucose monitoring class, a general nutrition class, a carbohydrate counting class and a gestational diabetes class. Programs also are offered in the Spanish language. Support groups for type 2 diabetes and those who use insulin pumps continue to be offered on a regular basis. For more information, call the Wound Care Services/ Diabetes Management Department at the Beebe Long Neck Health Center @ 947-2500.

Beebe Medical Center wound care nurses and certified diabetes educators also evaluate and provide wound care and diabetes education for persons who are hospitalized at Beebe Medical Center when requested by the patients' physician. Diabetes educators follow the recently implemented diabetes inpatient guidelines. These nurses continue to provide outpatient care at the Longneck Health Campus if it is requested.

Each Wednesday, Beebe Medical Center also offers free glucose testing at four Lab Express locations. Persons should have the test two hours after eating a normal meal. Please call for appointment times. First Floor Phlebotomy Lab, Beebe Medical Center - 645-3568; Beebe Lab Express, Five Pointe, 644-9344; Beebe Health Campus, Route 24 - 645-3010 ext 2443; and Beebe Lab-Express Milton, 684-8579.

Wound Care Services/ Diabetes Management is an outpatient department of Beebe Medical Center and is located at the Longneck Health Campus. The department was established in 1998 to evaluate and treat chronic wounds, provide ostomy care, nutrition counseling and diabetes education to those living in our community

Beebe Medical Center is a not-for-profit community medical center with a mission to encourage healthy living, prevent illness, and restore optimal health with the people residing, working, or visiting in the communities we serve. For more information, please visit us online at .