Milford Regional’s Diabetes Education Program Achieves Recognition
Milford Regional Medical Center’s Diabetes Education Program recently received recognition by the American Diabetes Association. Educational Recognition is a process through which programs that meet the criteria of the national standards for Diabetes Self-Management Education are formally identified for their excellent performance and high quality. The Education Recognition program has grown to become the leading quality assurance mechanism for diabetes education programs across the country.
Programs that achieve education recognition have a staff of knowledgeable health professionals who can provide state-of-the-art education about diabetes self-management for patients. The Milford Regional program incorporates one-on-one learning with Certified Diabetes Educators, small group classes for patients and a family member, nutritional counseling with Registered Dietitians, and a support group for patients and family. An individual education plan is developed for each patient depending on their needs. “Some patients may need more education, others might require frequent communication with our staff. We do whatever it takes to help our patients manage their diabetes” says Jo Fleming, RN, CDE, Patient Education Coordinator. “We are delighted that our unique program has been recognized by the American Diabetes Association.”
Jo Fleming has been coordinating the Milford Regional Diabetes Program for fifteen years and the program has grown dramatically during that time. In the year 2000, there were 537 patient visits for the program and in 2008 there were 2,400 patient visits. “Congratulations to Jo Fleming and her team for achieving recognition for our Diabetes Education Program”, says Edward J. Kelly, President, Milford Regional Medical Center. “This achievement demonstrates the high quality of our program and we are pleased to be able to offer it to the diabetes patients in our community.”