St. James Healthcare’s diabetes self-management education program, “Diabetes – Enlightenment through Discovery,” has received the prestigious American Diabetes Association (ADA) Education Recognition Certificate. According to the ADA, the St. James diabetes program “offers high-quality education that is an essential component of effective diabetes treatment.”
St. James Healthcare applied for the recognition voluntarily. Programs that achieve Recognition status have a staff of knowledgeable health professionals who can provide participants with comprehensive information about diabetes management. “Over the past two years, we have been building our diabetes outreach services and public education program,” said Shannon Holland, MSN, RN, St. James’ Vice President of Patient Care. “This award is the result of the work our dedicated employees have done in making this such a high-quality program. And, of course, it assures the residents of Southwest Montana who attend the classes that this is a top-rate program,” she said.
St. James began offering the diabetes education program last year, funded in part by a Rural Health Care Services Outreach Grant Program offered through the US Department of Health and Human Services. Monies from the grant are awarded over a three-year period. Since its inception, 76 people have completed the 8-hour class. Classes are two hours each week for four weeks and provide a wealth of information on diabetes management including controlling blood sugars while still eating the foods
people enjoy, meal planning, understanding diabetes medications, interpreting blood sugar levels and making adjustments and preventing complications related to diabetes.
More information about the program is available by calling St. James Healthcare at 723-2960.
