The Wellness Coalition has been involved for the past 10 months in a project to establish a Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support program (DSME/S), with the goal of applying for recognition by the American Diabetes Association. Development of this program has been made possible through a grant from the Alabama Department of Public Health.
Our Wellness Programs Coordinator, Ghandi Daniels, is the Project Director and leads the DSME/S Work Group that is responsible for planning and implementing the program. Our Nurse Consultant, Anne Hamner, has been teaching a monthly Diabetes Education Class for the past several years and recently she has added a monthly Pre-Diabetes Education Class. She has taken a leading role in the project by developing a comprehensive curriculum for DSME and working on referral and assessment procedures while continuing to teach the classes. Wellness Case Managers will provide the Support aspect of the program, working with individuals to help them achieve their diabetes management goals.
The Work Group also includes also includes Wellness Case Manager Judy Washington, who is handling the administrative aspects of the program and preparing the program binder, along with Jen Prater, Data Assistant, working on the program evaluation and data collection. In addition, we are advised by people who are living with diabetes, family members of people with diabetes, and professionals knowledgeable about and working in the field of diabetes.
Recognition by the ADA requires establishing programs and procedures for meeting the National Standards for Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support that address items such as Access, Program Structure, Curriculum, and others. The DSME/S Work Group has developed procedures related to each of these standards, with the goal of submitting an application to the ADA later in the summer for recognition as a DSME/S program.
We are very pleased to have this program to offer to our clients and to the community. The program requires referral from a health care provider. For more information, please call 293-6502 or fill out a referral form for the class here.