The prestigious American Diabetes Association (ADA) Education Recognition Certificate for a quality diabetes self-management education program was recently awarded to Our Lady of the Angels Hospital.

The program was originally recognized on Nov. 17, 2003, and has gone through four re-recognition cycles, earning ADA Education Recognition each time. ADA believes that 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 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, 2000, 2007 and 2012.

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 rigorous recognition process gives professionals a national standard by which to measure the quality of services they provide, said Dottie Kenda, RD, CDE, Diabetes Self-management Education Program Coordinator at Our Lady of the Angels Hospital. “And, of course, it gives patients confidence that they will receive high-quality service.” Education Recognition status is verified by an official certificate from ADA and awarded for four years.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 2017 National Diabetes Statistic Report there are 30.3 million people or 9.4 percent of the population in the United States who have diabetes. While an estimated 23.1 million have been diagnosed, unfortunately, 7.2 million people are not aware that they have this disease. Each day more than 3,900 people are diagnosed with diabetes, nationwide. 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 cases of diabetes were diagnosed in people aged 18 years or older in 2015. Diabetes continues to be the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S. In 2015 the disease contributed to 252,806 deaths. Those numbers are even higher in Louisiana and Washington Parish. According to 2013 CDC State and Parish data, 13.9 percent of Louisiana residents have diabetes, and a staggering 15 percent of Washington Parish residents have been diagnosed.

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 conducts programs in communities nationwide.

For more information on Our Lady of the Angels Hospital’s Diabetes Self-Management Education Program or Diabetes Support Group, call 985-730-7177, or visit www.oloah.org.