Paris Regional Medical Center has been awarded the prestigious American Diabetes Association Education Recognition Certificate for its Diabetes Self-Management Outpatient Training Program, officials announced today.

Paris Regional’s program was originally recognized in October of 1998. By again giving its certificate, the ADA believes this program offers 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 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.

Programs apply voluntarily for ADA recognition, which is awarded for three years. Those that achieve Recognition status have a staff of knowledgeable health professionals who can provide participants with comprehensive information about diabetes management.

“The ADA process gives diabetes professionals a national standard by which to measure the quality of services they provide,” said Chris Dux, Chief Executive Officer of Paris Regional. “And, of course, it assures the consumer that he or she can expect to receive high-quality service.”

Free screening slated for Pavilion 3
November is American Diabetes Month, which is designed to communicate the seriousness of diabetes and the importance of proper diabetes control. As part of the month’s educational and community programs, Paris Regional will host a free diabetes screening Nov. 5 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. The event will take place in the Diabetes Center in Pavilion 3 at 2890 Lewis Lane in Paris.

“The first step in controlling diabetes is proper diagnosis,” said Lisa Allen, RN, CDE and Clinical Coordinator of Paris Regional’s diabetes self-management program. “So many times, one of the illness’ serious side-effects brings a patient to us. Stopping by our screening will help people make better decisions about how to treat this condition.”

For more information about the free screening or Paris Regional’s diabetes programs, contact Lisa Allen at 903-737-1623.

A growing national health problem
According to the American Diabetes Association, there are 20.8 million children and adults in the United States, or 7 percent of the population, who have diabetes. While an estimated 14.6 million have been diagnosed with diabetes, unfortunately, 6.2 million people are unaware that they have the disease.
Each day, about 4,100 people are diagnosed with diabetes. Many will first lean 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 1.5 million new cases of diabetes were diagnosed in people aged 20 years or older in 2005. Diabetes contributed to 224,092 deaths in 2002. Since 1987, the death rate due to diabetes has increased by 45 percent while the death rates due to heart attacks, stroke and cancer have declined.