LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The prestigious American Diabetes Association Education Recognition Certificate for a quality diabetes self-management education program was recently awarded to the Baptist Health Medical Center-Heber Springs Diabetes Education Program and Baptist Health Medical Center-Stuttgart Diabetes Education Program on June 27, 2017. ADA believes that these programs offer high-quality education that is an essential component of effective diabetes treatment.
The Association’s Education Recognition Certificate assures that educational programs meet the National Standards for Diabetes Self-Management Education Programs. These 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, and 2012.
Programs apply for Recognition voluntarily. 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.
According to the American Diabetes Association, there are 29.1 million people or 9.3% of the population in the United States who have diabetes. While an estimated 21 million have been diagnosed, unfortunately, 8.1 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 and stroke, kidney disease, blindness, and nerve disease and amputation. About 1.4 million new cases of diabetes were diagnosed in people aged 20 years or older in 2014 in the US. Diabetes contributed to 234,051 deaths in 2010, making it the seventh leading cause of death in the US. Overall, the risk for death among people with diabetes is 50% greater than that of people of similar age but without diabetes.
With more than 175 points of access, including nine hospitals, Baptist Health is the state’s most comprehensive healthcare system committed to delivering “All Our Best” to the people of Arkansas. For more information about Diabetes Education Programs at Baptist Health, call Baptist Health HealthLine at 1-888-BAPTIST.