Hospital’s diabetes efforts earn recognition

SALISBURY — The diabetes self-management education program of Rowan Regional Medical Center has been awarded continued recognition from the American Diabetes Association.

The program was originally recognized in November 2003. The staff of the Diabetes & Nutrition Center includes Wanda Honeycutt, supervisor; and Sue Moore and Michelle Henrickson, certified diabetes educators.

“We work together to help people who live with diabetes to gain knowledge and be empowered to make decisions and take actions that will improve their health,” Honeycutt said.

The ADA Education Recognition effort is a voluntary process that assures approved education programs have met the National Standards for Diabetes Self-Management Education Programs. Those that achieve recognition status have a staff of knowledgeable health professionals who can provide state-of-the-art information about diabetes management for participants.

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. These topics include: 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.

Assuring high-quality education for patient self-care is one of the primary goals of the Education Recognition program. Through the support of the health- care team and increased knowledge and awareness of diabetes, the patient can assume a major part of the responsibility for his/her diabetes management.

For more information about diabetes or the services offered at Rowan Regional, call the Diabetes and Nutrition Center at 704-210-5771.