- Denise Bullion, RN, Certified Diabetic Educator and Libby White, Registered and Licensed Dietitian, provide diabetes education to adults and children with diabetes so they can maintain a healthy lifestyle.
The prestigious American Diabetes Association (ADA) Education Recognition Certificate for a quality diabetes self-management education program was recently awarded to The Bellevue Hospital’s (TBH) Diabetes Education Program. The ADA believes that this program offers high-quality diabetes self-management education that is an essential component of effective diabetes treatment.
The Association’s Education Recognition Certificate assures that educational programs meet the National Standards for Diabetes Self-Management Education Programs. These standards were developed and tested under the auspices of the National Diabetes Advisory Board in 1983 and were revised by the diabetes community in 1994, 2000, 2007, 2012 and 2017.
Programs applying for recognition voluntarily submit to a rigorous review process by experts in the field of diabetes who evaluate each program on its ability to provide patients with a comprehensive individualized education program. Programs that achieve recognition status have a staff of knowledgeable health professionals who can provide participants with comprehensive information about diabetes management.
“The process gives professionals a national standard by which to measure the quality of services they provide,” said Denise Bullion, RN, Certified Diabetic Educator at The Bellevue Hospital. “And, of course, it helps to assure that the consumer will receive high-quality services.”
Self-management education is an essential component of diabetes treatment. Compliance with the national standards provide 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. All approved education programs cover the following topics as needed: diabetes disease process; nutritional management; physical activity; medications; monitoring; preventing, detecting, and treating acute complications; preventing, detecting, and treating chronic complications through risk reduction; goal setting and problem solving; psychological adjustment; and preconception care, management during pregnancy, and gestational management.
In existence for over 28 years, The Bellevue Hospital’s Diabetes Education Program provides individualized special education to help children and adults with diabetes maintain healthy lifestyles. Topics covered during appointments include diet, exercise, medication, education and monitoring. A physician referral is required for the Diabetes Education program at TBH.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) 2017 National Diabetes Statistic Report there are 30.3 million people or 9.4% of the population in the United States who have diabetes. While an estimated 23.1 million have been diagnosed, unfortunately, 7.2 million people are not aware that they have this disease. Each day, more than 4,110 Americans 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, stroke, kidney disease, blindness, nerve disease, and amputation. Diabetes continues to be the seventh leading cause of death in the US—in 2015, it contributed to 252,806 deaths.
The ADA 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 nationwide.
For more information on The Bellevue Hospital’s Diabetic Education Program, contact Denise Bullion at 419.483.4040, Ext. 4303.