Published: January 30, 2007 11:47 pm            

OLBH receives national recognition

Russell — The diabetes services of Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital’s Diabetes & Wound Care Center have received a three-year accreditation by the American Diabetes Association.

OLBH was recognized by the ADA for compliance with the National Standards for Diabetes Self-Management Education.

“The recognition is a great compliment to our program,” said Tawnia Jones, OLBH’s diabetes clinical coordinator. “For our staff who have dedicated their careers to the care of diabetics, it’s tremendous to be recognized nationally by the American Diabetes Association.”

As part of the application process, OLBH staff submitted six months of detailed data on patients who utilized the diabetes services of the Diabetes & Wound Care Center in addition to undergoing a review of the center and its staff.

The ADA concluded that all data met the 10 stringent requirements of the National Standards for Diabetes Self-Management Education.

“A tremendous amount of work and coordination is required by our ‘staff’ to align the clinical aspects of OLBH’s diabetes self-management education program to comply with national standards,” said Jennifer Moore, OLBH vice president of patient care services. “The staff and all of OLBH are extremely proud of our program’s status as recognized by the American Diabetes Association.”

The standards were developed and tested under the auspices of the National Diabetes Advisory Board. The ADA endorsed the standards in 1983. In 1986 the ADA developed an application and review process to determine whether an education program met the standards. OLBH was first recognized by the ADA in 2003. On its Web site, the ADA notes it endorses the standards to ìpromote quality education for people with diabetes.

The diabetes services program of the OLBH Diabetes & Wound Care Center are designed to help those with diabetes develop and practice the self-management skills that will improve their health status and quality of life and reduce the risk of diabetes-related complications.

Services include education/counseling support for adults and children with diabetes, prediabetes and gestational diabetes as well as treatment of diabetes-related wounds.

Patients receive followup at three, six, nine and 12 months.

“ADA recognition validates our program and staff’s excellence,” said Mark Gordon, OLBH’s CEO.

“We appreciate the hard work of our staff who achieved this honor.”

For more information or to make an appointment at the Diabetes & Wound Care Center, call (606) 833-4043.

        

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