For Immediate Release |
Contact: Amanda Rose, PR Coordinator Phone: (518) 773-5533 |
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Littauer’s Diabetes Center of Excellence awarded "continued recognition status" by American Diabetes Association
Gloversville…
Nathan Littauer Hospital’s comprehensive educational program "Living Well With Diabetes", established in 2003, was recently awarded "continued recognition status" by the American Diabetes Association. This prestigious award means the program meets the national standards for diabetes self-management education and entitles the Hospital to continue being a "Diabetes Center of Excellence".
"The evaluators from the American Diabetes Association felt the strongest aspect of our program, and the one that sets us apart from other local programs, is the large, multidisciplinary team of Littauer teaching professionals," said Laurence Kelly, Littauer president and CEO. "Kathie Rohrs, BSN, RN leads an extraordinary diabetic teaching team focused on the individual, whether she/he is a newly diagnosed diabetic or someone looking for the latest ideas on living with diabetes. Each member’s area of expertise is incorporated into an individualized teaching plan consisting of an initial nursing assessment followed by two, 4-hour sessions and a 6 month follow-up."
"Research has shown that aggressively controlling blood sugars reduces the risk of complications from diabetes, such as heart disease, kidney failure, blindness and stroke" says Rohrs. "Our well-integrated professional team has developed a program that shares the goal of increasing the patient’s proactive approach to self care management so that they will see a reduction in illnesses and hospitalizations associated with this disease process. This educational curriculum promotes a better quality of life and is focused on the individuals’ personal needs."
Team members in addition to Rohrs are: Lisa Meisenburg, registered dietician; Bob Stankes, registered pharmacist; Melissa Bown, adult nurse practitioner; Jeff Rhodes, physical therapist; Rick Blowers, physical therapy assistant; Lynn Pawloski, social worker and Susan Everett, certified diabetic educator. Akhilesh Fotidar, M.D. is program advisor to the team.
Referrals to Littauer’s Diabetes Center of Excellence are accepted through your physician’s office. Questions about the Center can be made by calling 773-5425.
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