Henry County Health Center Diabetes Education Services receives recognition

The prestigious American Diabetes Association Education Recognition Certificate for a quality diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES) service was recently awarded to the Henry County Health Center Diabetes Education Program. ADA believes that this service offers high-quality education that is an essential component of effective diabetes treatment.

The Association’s Education Recognition Certificate assures that educational services meet the National Standards for Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support. The DSMES Standards were developed and tested under the auspices of the National Diabetes Advisory Board in 1983 and were revised by the diabetes community in 1994, 2000, 2007, 2012, and 2017.

DSMES services apply for Recognition voluntarily. Services 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 national standard by which to measure the quality of services they provide,” comments Katie Westphal, HCHC Diabetes Program Coordinator. “And, of course, it assures the consumer that he or she will likely receive high-quality service.”

Education Recognition status is verified by an official certificate from ADA and awarded for four years.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)2020 National Diabetes Statistic Report there are 34.2 million people or 10.5% of the population in the United States who have diabetes. While an estimated 26.8 million have been diagnosed, 7.3 million people are not aware that they have this disease. Each day more than 3,900 people are diagnosed with diabetes.

Many will first learn that they have diabetes when they are treated for one of its life-threatening complications – heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness, nerve disease, and amputation. About 1.5 million new cases of diabetes were diagnosed in people aged 18 years or older in 2018. Diabetes continues to be the seventh leading cause of death in the US in 2017 as it contributed to 270,702 deaths.

The American Diabetes Association is the nation’s leading non-profit health organization supporting diabetes research, advocacy and information for health professionals, people with diabetes and the public. Founded in 1940, the Association continues to support people affected by diabetes nationwide.

For more information on HCHC’s Diabetes Education Services and the services available, call 319-385-6518.