The prestigious American Diabetes Association Education Recognition Certificate for a quality diabetes self-management education program was awarded to the Bruce S. Chertow Diabetes Center, an affiliate of Marshall Health, on April 29.
The association’s recertification of the Chertow Diabetes Center means the center’s educational programs meet the National Standards for Diabetes Self-Management Education Programs.
“The process gives professionals a national standard by which to measure the quality of services we provide,” said Gerry Bryant, RN/CDE, diabetes education program coordinator for the Chertow Diabetes Center. “It also assures the patient that he or she will receive high-quality service.”
Programs that achieve recognition status have a staff of knowledgeable health professionals who can provide participants with comprehensive information about diabetes management. Education recognition status is verified by an official certificate from ADA and awarded for four years. Original certification of the Marshall diabetes program was in 1992.
The ADA is the nation’s leading nonprofit health organization supporting diabetes research, advocacy and information for health professionals, patients and the public. Founded in 1940, the ADA has an area office in every state and conducts programs in communities nationwide.
According to ADA, 29.1 million people, or 9.3 percent of the population, in the United States have diabetes. Each day, an estimated 4,600 people are diagnosed with diabetes in the U.S. Many will first learn that they have diabetes when they are treated for one of its serious complications such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness, nerve disease or amputation.
For more information about diabetes or to schedule an appointment, contact the Chertow Diabetes Center, located in the Erma Ora Byrd Clinical Center, at 304-691-1000, www.marshallhealth.org.
