Diabetes causes more deaths a year than breast cancer and AIDS combined, a sobering fact from the American Diabetes Association (ADA), which stresses the importance of living a healthy lifestyle and educating patients with diabetes and their families.
Consistent with national standards to provide high quality self-management education to people with diabetes, the Diabetes Resource Center at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore recently received the ADA’s prestigious Education Recognition Certificate.
The ADA awards certification only to programs that meet the strict criteria developed through its National Standards for Diabetes Self-Management Programs, which assure people that they are getting the best care.
In order to merit this distinction, programs must cover a wide range of topics, including everything from the disease process, nutritional management, goal setting, problem solving and psychological adjustments to preventing diabetic complications, detecting changes, monitoring levels and participating in physical activities.
“Participants in our program are taught self-care skills that promote better management of their diabetes treatment regimen,” says Sally Pinkstaff, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Diabetes Resource Center. “Having the knowledge and skills to understand and take action against this disease are essential components of diabetes treatment.”
The Education Recognition status is voluntary and is awarded for three years. The Diabetes Resource Center opened earlier this year. To learn more about the center, call 410-601-WELL (9355).
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