Memorial Hermann The Woodlands' diabetes self-management education program has been awarded continued Recognition from the American Diabetes Association (ADA). The program has been recognized since December 2006.
The ADA Education Recognition effort, which commenced in the fall of 1986, is a voluntary process that assures approved education programs have met the National Standards for Diabetes Self-management Programs. Programs that achieve Recognition status have a staff of knowledgeable health professionals who can provide state-of-the-art information about diabetes management for participants.
"The process gives professionals a national standard by which to measure the quality of the services they provide," said Laura Thomas, clinical manager of nutrition and diabetes education at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands. "And, it helps patients to identify high-quality programs."
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. 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.
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. Unnecessary hospital admissions and some of the acute and chronic complications of diabetes may be prevented through self-management education.
Photo caption: The Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center Diabetes Self-Management Program Team is, from left, Laura Thomas, RD, LD; Endocrinologist Ulupi Choksi, MD; and Mary Beth Pawlak, RN.