Clinic recognized for education effort

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The American Diabetes Association education recognition certificate for a quality diabetes self-management education program was recently awarded to New Richmond Clinic and Western Wisconsin Medical Associates.

ADA believes that this program offers high-quality education that is an essential component of effective diabetes treatment. Certified diabetes educator at New Richmond Clinic is Susan Kurtz.

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.

Programs apply for recognition voluntarily. Programs that achieve recognition status have a staff of knowledgeable health professionals who 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,” Kurtz said. “And, of course, it assures the patient that he or she will likely receive high-quality care.”

Education recognition status is verified by an official certificate from ADA and awarded for three years.

According to the American Diabetes Association, there are 20.8 million people or 7 percent of the population in the United States who have diabetes.

While an estimated 14.6 million have been diagnosed, unfortunately, 6.2 million people are not aware that they have this 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, and nerve disease and amputation.

About 1.5 million new cased of diabetes were diagnosed in people age 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 disease, stroke and cancer have declined.

The American Diabetes Association is the nation’s leading non-profit health organization supporting diabetes research, advocacy and information for health professionals, patients and the public. Founded in 1940, the Association has an area office in every state and conducts programs in communities nationwide.

For more information on recognized education programs or other American Diabetes Association programs, visit ADA online at www.diabetesorg.

Tags: new richmond clinic, western wisconsin medical associates, business, diabetes