Press Releases
Durham Regional Hospital’s Outpatient Nutrition and Diabetes Education Center Receives Recognition from the American Diabetes Association
Mar. 12, 2010Durham, NC- The Durham Regional Hospital Outpatient Nutrition and Diabetes Education Center diabetes self-management education program has been awarded continued recognition from the American Diabetes Association (ADA). The program was originally recognized in February of 2001.
The ADA Education Recognition effort is a voluntary process which assures that approved education programs have met the national standards for diabetes self-management education programs. According to the ADA, 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. Durham Regional Hospital’s Outpatient Nutrition and Diabetes Education Center teaches patients self-care skills that will promote better management of their diabetes treatment regimens. All approved education programs cover the following topics as needed: diabetes disease process, nutritional management, physical activity, medication monitoring; preventing, detecting and treating acute complications; preventing, detecting and treating chronic complications through risk reduction; goal setting and problem solving; psychological adjustment; gestational diabetes management, management during pregnancy and gestational management.
Assuring high-quality education for patient self-care is one of the primary goals of the ADA 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 or her diabetes management. Unnecessary hospital admissions and some of the acute and chronic complications of diabetes may be prevented through self-management education.
In addition to ADA Education Recognition, Debby Nowack, RN, CDE, diabetes educator at Durham Regional Hospital’s Outpatient Nutrition and Diabetes Education Center, won a 2010 American Diabetes Association Patient Care Award.
The Patient Care Award is given annually to five North Carolina individuals who are committed to providing outstanding patient education and care. These providers go above and beyond to educate patients and families on diabetes management. Melanie Mabrey, MSN, director of the Inpatient Endocrine Nurse Practitioner Program at Durham Regional Hospital, also received the ADA Patient Care award in 2008.
In February of 2007, Durham Regional Hospital’s Outpatient Nutrition and Diabetes Education Center received a Provider of the Year award by the American Diabetes Association. Only five of these awards are given annually to North Carolina health facilities for excellence in patient education programs.
“Since its start in 1995, Durham Regional Hospital’s Outpatient Nutrition and Diabetes Education Center has grown to be one of the largest diabetes education centers in the state,” says Nowack. “These awards from the American Diabetes Association are truly an honor and show that our diabetes and dietitian educators make a tremendous contribution to the education patients receive.”
