BAMC Diabetes Education Program Merits ADA Recognition (November 19, 2003)

(Marinette, Wis.) – The American Diabetes Association Education Recognition Certificate for a quality diabetes self-management education program was recently awarded to the Bay Area Medical Center Diabetes Education program. ADA believes that this program offers high-quality diabetes self-management education that is an essential component of effective diabetes treatment.

The Association’s education recognition certificate assures that educational programs meet the national standards for diabetes self-management education programs.

Programs applying for recognition voluntarily summit to a rigorous review process by experts in the field of diabetes who evaluate each program on its ability to provide patients with a comprehensive individualized education program. Programs that achieve recognition status have a staff of knowledgeable health professionals who can provide participants with comprehensive information about diabetes management.

“ The process gives professionals a national standard by which to measure the quality of services they provide,” says Katie Myers, RN and certified diabetic educator. “And, of course, it assures the consumer that he or she will likely receive high-quality service.”

According to the American Diabetes Association, there are 17 million people or 6.2 percent of the population in the United States who have diabetes. While an estimated 11.1 million have been diagnosed, unfortunately, 5.9 million people are not aware that they have this disease. Many will first learn that they have diabetes when they are treated for one of its life-threatening complications – heart disease and stroke, kidney disease, blindness, and nerve disease and amputation. Diabetes is the fifth-deadliest disease in the United States and it has no cure.

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

For more information on the diabetes and education programs, please contact the BAMC Diabetes Education department at (715) 735-4200, ext. 3351