West Florida Hospital's Diabetes Education Program Merits ADA Recognition

Posted April 20, 2007

(Pensacola, FL) — The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recently extended The Diabetes Center at West Florida Hospital’s Education Recognition Certificate.  The extension is good for another three years.  By re-conferring this prestigious recognition, ADA is affirming that West Florida Hospital’s diabetes program continues to 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 and 2000.  Education Recognition status is verified by an official certificate from ADA.

Programs apply for Recognition on a voluntary basis.  Diabetes programs that achieve Recognition status have a staff of knowledgeable health professionals that can provide participants with comprehensive information about diabetes management.

“The process gives professionals a national standard by which to measure the quality of services they provide,” said Nina Clark, RN, BSN, CDE.  “And, of course, it assures the consumer that he or she will likely receive high-quality service.”

According to the ADA, there are 20.8 million people or 7% of the U.S. population who have diabetes.  While an estimated 14.6 million have been diagnosed, another 6.2 million people are not even aware that they have the disease.  Each day, approximately 4,110 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, nerve disease, and amputation. 

The ADA is the nation’s leading not-for-profit health organization supporting diabetes research, advocacy and information for health professionals, patients and the public.  Founded in 1940, the ADA has an area office in every state and conducts programs in communities nationwide.

West Florida Healthcare has provided comprehensive healthcare services to northwest Florida and south Alabama residents since 1975.  The 531-bed facility includes a 400-bed acute care tertiary hospital, a 58-bed rehabilitation facility, a 73-bed mental health facility and an outpatient cancer treatment center.  Affiliated with HCA, the nation’s leading provider of healthcare, West Florida Healthcare offers major services in cardiology/cardiovascular surgery, oncology, neurology/neurosurgery, orthopedics, trauma, behavioral health, obstetrics, rehabilitative medicine and many other medical specialties.  

For more information about the American Diabetes Association, visit www.diabetes.org.  For more information about The Diabetes Center at West Florida Hospital, call (850) 494-4950.