The Diabetes Self-Management Education (DSME) program through the Welch
Diabetes Education Center at Good Samaritan has been awarded continued
recognition from the American Diabetes Association (ADA). The program
at Good Samaritan was originally recognized in August of 1994 and offers
high-quality education services to the patients it serves.
The ADA Education Recognition effort, begun in the fall of 1986, is a voluntary
process which assures that approved education programs have met the National
Standards for Diabetes Self-Management Education 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.
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.
“The Welch Diabetes Education Center believes that education is the
key to empowering the person with diabetes to better manage his or her
disease,” said Stacy Hinkle, RN, BSN, CDE, Diabetes Program Coordinator.
“Educating our patients on how they can avoid the complications
of diabetes and achieve an optimum health status is our ultimate goal.”
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; 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.