Monday, Dec. 8, 2014

DIABETES

Local center gains credentials

American Diabetes Association’s Education Recognition Certificate for a quality diabetes self-management education program was recently awarded to the CHRISTUS Health Shreveport-Bossier program.

According to the American Diabetes Association, there are 25.8 million Americans, or roughly  8.5 percent of the population, who have diabetes.  

Self-management education, which teaches those who have been diagnosed how to properly manage the disease themselves, is an essential component of diabetes treatment. 

The American Diabetes Association’s Education Recognition Certificate means that educational programs meet the National Standards for Diabetes Self-Management Education Programs. These standards were first developed by the National Diabetes Advisory Board in 1983 and have since been revised several times as treatment options improve, most recently in 2012.

“One consequence of compliance with the national standards is the greater consistency in the quality and quantity of education offered to people with diabetes,” Jennifer Callicoatte, manager of clinical nutrition/bariatrics/diabetes center, said. “Participants in an ADA-recognized program will be taught self-care skills that will promote better management of his or her diabetes treatment regimen.”

The program at CHRISTUS Health Shreveport-Bossier is based on four individual classes. A wide variety of diabetes education is offered, and the program is housed on the Highland campus. These education programs cover self-management topics such as diabetes disease process, nutritional management, physical activity, medications and monitoring. The program also teaches patients about preventing, detecting and treating both acute and chronic complications through risk reduction, about goal setting and problem solving and about psychological adjustment. For expectant mothers with diabetes, the program teaches preconception care, management during pregnancy and gestational management. Medicare covers diabetes education services as do most private insurance companies.

“Combined, our educators have 100 years of education experience and been with the CHRISTUS system for over 80 years,” Callicoatte said. “There are three educators who are registered and licensed dieticians who also have a passion and certifications in diabetes education.” 

Valerie F. Calhoun graduated from Grambling State University in nutrition and dietetics and received her master’s degree in nutrition and dietetics from Northwestern University. She has been a registered and licensed dietitian for more than 25 years. “Valerie has held a special interest in the field of diabetes since her mother was diagnosed in 1970,” Callicoatte said.

Palmer Grau graduated from Louisiana Tech University in nutrition and dietetics. She has been a registered and licensed dietitian for 22 years and has been a certified diabetes educator for 13 years.  “Palmer has a passion for diabetes education and believes that through education empowerment, patients can improve their own health outcomes,” Callicoatte said.

Jan Hoefler graduated with her nursing degree from St. Luke’s in Kansas City, Mo. She has been a registered nurse for 40 years and has been a certified diabetes educator for 22 years.  “Jan has worked in a variety of education settings during her career and brings her vast knowledge and experience to the program,” Callicoatte said.  “Her compassion for her patients is well-demonstrated, and commitment to motivating lifestyle changes through the education process is one of her goals.”

Programs apply for recognition voluntarily. In order to achieve this status, a program must demonstrate it has a staff of knowledgeable health professionals who can provide participants with comprehensive information about diabetes management. It is a rigorous process, one that Callicoatte said benefits both health care professionals and patients.

“The process gives professionals a national standard by which to measure the quality of services they provide,” Callicoatte said. “And, of course, it assures the consumer that he or she will receive high-quality service.” Education recognition status is verified by an official certificate from ADA and awarded for four years.

Diabetes contributed to 231,404 deaths in 2007, making it the seventh leading cause of death in America. Overall, the risk for death among people with diabetes is about twice that of people of similar age but without diabetes. However, through ADA-recognized diabetes self-management education, the patient can assume a major part of the responsibility for their diabetes management. When a patient can manage their own diabetes, unnecessary hospital admissions and some of the acute and chronic complications of diabetes may be prevented.

The American Diabetes Association is the nation’s leading nonprofit health organization supporting diabetes research, advocacy, and information for health professionals, patients and the public. 

For more information on recognized education programs or other American Diabetes Association programs, contact the ADA online at www.diabetes.org/ero.

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