Diabetes Management

Saint Mary's Health Care offers a comprehensive management and education program to meet the needs of the person with diabetes. Our program includes the following areas, which we feel are essential to successful diabetes control:

• A multidisciplinary care team: A team is crucial to managing diabetes. The diabetes team at Saint Mary's includes physicians and nurse practitioners specializing in diabetes, registered nurses, certified diabetes educators, registered dietitians, pharmacists, podiatrists, pedorthists, opthalmologists, social workers, and exercise specialists.

• Evidence based advice: Team members will keep the patients and health care providers aware of the latest research and techniques, including therapies based on current studies.

• A list of treatment options: We provide the patient and primary care physician with options when discussing the diabetes management plan and help to make the best choice for the patient at this time.

• Achievable patient goals: The team will help set obtainable and realistic goals to facilitate the patient's success in controlling his/her diabetes. Utilizing case management, a team member will be there to help meet the goals and trouble shoot as needs arise.

• Self assessment: We allow time to listen to the individual's feelings about having diabetes and help to identify education topics which would be most helpful.

• Patient partners: Through support groups or by meeting others with diabetes, we provide opportunities for people with diabetes to meet those who are successfully managing their disease or struggling through the same things.

• Quality assurance: The diabetes team is committed to providing state-of-the-art care to each patient. A computerized database permits us to assess the quality of care which all of our patients receive. Members of the team are continuously educating themselves and others throughout the medical community with graduate and undergraduate medical education programs. Members of the team are actively engaged in original medical research the purpose of which is to improve the quality of care that persons with diabetes mellitus receive.

People referred to the Center will find a multidisciplinary team. The purpose of the team approach is to provide high quality care to persons with chronic disease, such as diabetes and/or hyperlipidemia. Board Certified Endocrinologists, whose previous experience was at world-renowned teaching hospitals, provide patient care. This team will work collaboratively with the primary physician.