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Geckle Diabetes & Nutrition Center Geckle Diabetes Center Receives Recognition from the American Diabetes Association The American Diabetes Association recently recognized Greater Baltimore Medical Center's Geckle Diabetes & Nutrition Center for its diabetes self-management education program. The program offers high-quality education services to the patients its serves. The ADA Education Recognition effort is a voluntary process that assures that approved education programs have met the National Standards for Diabetes Self-Management Education Programs. The Geckle Center achieved this status because of its staff of knowledgeable health professionals who provide state-of-the-art information about diabetes management for participants. "Our physicians, nurses, dieticians and physician assistants are trained in the intricacies of diabetes care," says James Mersey, M.D., Chief of Endocrinology and Medical Director of the Geckle Center. "Our high patient satisfaction is a direct result of enhancing quality of life through self-skills and patient and family education." The Geckle Diabetes & Nutrition Center, which opened in 1998, provides diabetes education and nutritional counseling for all forms of diabetes: Type 1, Type 2 and gestational diabetes. Both classes and one-on-one counseling focus on self-management skills, insulin pump placement and lifestyle changes. More than 700 diabetes patients are treated annually at the center. "Self-management education is an essential component of diabetes treatment. One consequence of compliance with the National Standards is the greater consistency in the quality and breadth of education services offered to people with diabetes," explains Patty Haney, Program Director of the Geckle Center. A patient at an ADA-recognized program will be taught self-care skills that will promote better management of his or her diabetes treatment regimen. All approved education programs cover the following topics as needed: diabetes overview; stress and psychosocial adjustment; family involvement and social support; nutrition; exercise and activity; medications; monitoring and use of results; relationships among nutrition, exercise, medication and blood glucose levels; prevention, detection and treatment of acute and chronic complications; foot, skin and dental care; behavior change strategies, goal setting, risk factor reduction and problem solving; benefits, risks and management options for improving glucose control; preconception care, pregnancy and gestational diabetes; and use of healthcare systems and community resources. According to the NIH, 15.7 million Americans, approximately 5.9 % of the population, suffer from diabetes. The American Diabetes Association estimates the cost of diabetes surpasses $98 billion per year with over half of that amount related to disability, work loss and premature mortality. Assuring high-quality education for patient self-care is one of the primary goals of the ADA Education Recognition Program. Through the support of the healthcare team and increased knowledge and awareness of diabetes, the patient can assume a major part of the responsibility for his or her diabetes management. Unnecessary hospital admissions and some of the acute and chronic complications of diabetes may be prevented through self-management education.
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