St. Luke’s Hospital reaccredits diabetes education program

Published 8:00 am Tuesday, April 3, 2018

St. Luke’s Hospital’s Diabetes Self-Management Education Program has recently renewed its status as an accredited diabetes education program by the American Association of Diabetes Educators, a national accredited organization certified by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

This allows the people with diabetes in and around Polk County and the Carolina Foothills increased access to diabetes education services.

Diabetes education is a collaborative process through which people with or at risk for diabetes gain the knowledge and skills needed to modify behavior and successfully self-manage the disease and its related conditions. The program is comprehensive,  and taught by diabetes educators who have extensive training.

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St. Luke’s Hospital offers diabetes education programs on an ongoing basis. The core curriculum consists of two classes followed by one-on-one meetings with the certified diabetes educator, and multiple ongoing support options are also available according to individual need.

“Our program is highly individualized and flexible according to the individual’s needs.  The goal is empowerment of the individual to self-manage their illness as a result of better understanding and support,” says Melissa Melum, the program instructor.

“AADE’s accreditation assures that an accredited program meets the National Standards for Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support.  Programs which meet this criteria are considered high quality and have been shown to improve the health status of the individuals who embrace the education and help to modify sometimes unhealthy behaviors, or simply provide the education that the person with diabetes has not previously received” said Leslie E. Kolb, accreditation director for the Diabetes Education Accreditation Program.

For more information about the St. Luke’s Diabetes Self-Management Education Program, please contact Melissa Melum, at 828-894-0944. Persons with pre-diabetes are encouraged to contact Buffy Ashmore at 828-894-0824 about the St. Luke’s Diabetes Prevention Program.

– Submitted by St. Luke’s Hospital