Holy Name Press Releases

Holy Name Medical Center's Diabetes Self-Management Program Merits ADA Recognition

June 24, 2014

The prestigious American Diabetes Association Education Recognition Certificate for a quality diabetes self-management education program was recently awarded to the Diabetes Center at Holy Name Medical Center (HNMC). The ADA believes that the HNMC Diabetes Center program, which was recognized by the ADA in June of 2014, offers high-quality education that is an essential component of effective diabetes treatment.

The Association's Education Recognition Certificate is awarded for four years and assures that educational programs meet the National Standards for Diabetes Self-Management Education Programs. Diabetes programs that achieve recognition status have a staff of knowledgeable health professionals who can provide participants with comprehensive information about diabetes management.

The Diabetes Center at Holy Name Medical Center provides programs and counseling that reflect the highest standard of patient education about behavior change, prevention and care during complications. The Center's goal is to help people who are living with diabetes to self manage their disease to prevent and/or delay possible complications. Patients with diabetes receive counseling from a registered nurse and /or registered dietitian who are also certified diabetes educators on:

• Insulin self-administration
• Blood sugar monitoring
• Exercise
• Health maintenance and the importance of routine physical follow-up
• Insulin pump therapy
• Continuous glucose monitoring

The combination of education and emotional support offered at Holy Name Medical Center helps patients avoid long-term complications from diabetes. The Diabetes Center provides:

• Comprehensive education to people with metabolic syndrome, pre-diabetes, Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, or gestational diabetes.
• Instructions on how to use blood glucose meters, along with the why, and when to test, as well as keeping a blood sugar log.
• Instruction on insulin pump therapy and continuous glucose monitoring when appropriate.
• Education on meal planning, carbohydrate counting, food diary, diet and exercise.
• Follow-up care to assess blood sugar management (A1c), and collaboration with physicians on medication adjustments.
• Continued support to motivate/ empower patients with tools of self-care

Holy Name also offers:

• Individual consultations
• Group Core Curriculum classes
• Free community lectures

For more information or to schedule an appointment, call the Diabetes Center at 201-833-3371. Daytime and evening, group as well as one-to-one counseling sessions are offered.

According to the American Diabetes Association, there are 25.8 million people or 8.5% of the population in the United States who have diabetes. While an estimated 18.8 million have been diagnosed, unfortunately, 7.0 million people are not aware that they have this disease. Each day approximately 5,205 people are diagnosed with diabetes. Many will first learn that they have diabetes when they are treated for one of its life-threatening complications - heart disease and stroke, kidney disease, blindness, and nerve disease and amputation. About 1.9 million new cases of diabetes were diagnosed in people aged 20 years or older in 2010 in the US. Diabetes contributed to 231,404 deaths in 2007, making it the seventh leading cause of death in the US. Overall, the risk for death among people with diabetes is about twice that of people of similar age without diabetes.

The American Diabetes Association is the nation's leading non-profit health organization supporting diabetes research, advocacy and information for health professionals, patients and the public. Founded in 1940, the Association has an area office in every state and conducts programs in communities nationwide.