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.