Diabetes Education
Diabetes education, also known as diabetes self-management training (DSMT or diabetes self-management education (DSME) is defined as a collaborative process through which people with or at risk for diabetes gain the knowledge and skills needed to modify behavior and successfully control the disease and its related conditions. DSME is an interactive, ongoing process involving the person with diabetes (or the caregiver and family) and a team of educators: nurses, dietitians, and pharmacists. The intervention aims to achieve optimal health and better quality of life, reducing the need for costly healthcare by preventing and postponing complications.
Diabetes education focuses on seven self-care behaviors that are essential for controlling the blood glucose, blood pressure, and laboratory values that lead to better health: Healthy eating, being active, monitoring, taking medications, problem solving, healthy coping, and reducing risks.
At BVMA, the Diabetes Self-Management Education program includes one year of interaction. There is one-on-one instruction, and patients and support people also attend classes offered either mornings or evenings. The agenda focuses on setting goals and creating a plan for successful health maintenance. Participants meet again with the team of educators to evaluate progress and redirect or reshape the plan until the desired outcome is reached.
The end result of diabetes education is to give the patient the skills and tools to successfully manage their diabetes with their personal choices and individual goals in mind. We offer a variety of individualized programs designed to meet your specific needs. Click here to learn more.
About Our Educators
Kathleen Mills, RN, CDE, joined BVMA in 1985 after nursing in long-term care. Recognizing the growing need for diabetes education, she focused on helping patients use their home glucose meters and insulin injections for blood sugar management. As a Registered Nurse, Kathy gathered experience and developed the knowledge to test for credentials as a Certified Diabetes Educator and has filled that position full-time for more than ten years. After obtaining a bachelor’s degree at Bluffton College, her duties expanded to coordinating the Diabetes Self-Management Education Program at BVMA. Kathy and the team of educators provide patients with understanding, skills, and tools to encourage active, effective participation toward blood glucose management to reduce the complications of diabetes, both immediate and chronic.
Mandi Roark, RN, BSN, CDE, joined BVMA in 1996 and began working with diabetes patients shortly after that. She has been part of the diabetes education team since the start of BVMA's evening classes in 1999. Mandi became a Certified Diabetes Educator in 2001. She works as part of the diabetes education team to help patients better understand their diabetes and to learn how they can help manage their disease. She works both on the floor in rooming patients and addressing diabetes issues at patient appointments, as well as in the education department in individual and class settings. She and the education team help patients to become active in their diabetes care by understanding their diabetes and the skills needed to manage it.
Tools for Our Patients
When you have diabetes, other situations can make glucose control more challenging. Infections like a cold or the flu can make it difficult to manage your blood sugar. Click here to see how you can successfully manage your diabetes when you are ill.
Regularly reporting your blood sugar results is key to maintaining optimal control of your blood sugars. If you are enrolled in our blood sugar monitoring program, click here to enter your meter results.
An integral part of diabetes management is the training and instruction patients receive from registered dietitians. Click here to learn more about our dietitians and the many services they offer.
