Orange City Area Health System Earns Recognition from the American Diabetes Association
The diabetes self-management education program at Orange City Area Health System has been awarded continued Recognition from the American Diabetes Association. This program offers high-quality education services to the patients it serves.
The health system's Education Recognition Program (ERP) is part of its diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES) services, served by Diabetes Care & Education Coordinator Kim Karhoff, M.Ed/MSN/RN, and Registered Dietitian Molly Gilmore, M.S.Ed/RD/LD.
The ADA’s ERP certificate assures that educational services meet the National Standards for DSMES. The corresponding intervention provided is evidence-based and outcome driven.
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 is taught, as needed, self-care skills that will promote better management of his or her diabetes treatment regimen. 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; and 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.