Diabetes education and support

You can lead a healthy life with diabetes

Education Support Lifestyle

Your best bet for living a long healthy life with diabetes comes from keeping your blood-sugar level consistently near normal. This takes education, support and being able to maintain changes in your lifestyle. Your diabetes education team at NorthCrest Medical Center can help you.

Our goal is to provide you and your family with current, individualized diabetes information so that you can understand what causes problems in diabetes and how to prevent or control these problems.

The Outpatient Diabetes Education Program is for persons newly diagnosed with diabetes, those who have never received education and those with problems in controlling diabetes. Referral for outpatient diabetes education is arranged by your physician.

Education and training are conducted in a small group setting with you and your family. Diabetes Education services are covered by most insurance plans. Our program is recognized by the American Diabetes Association of Quality Self-Management Education.

Questions about diabetes may come up any day of the week, any time of the day -- and NorthCrest Medical Center's diabetes education team always has time to help.

A certified diabetes educator remains on call at all times. Just phone 615/384-2411 and ask to have your Diabetes Educator notified.

Education topics

• What is diabetes?
• Recipes and cooking tips for diabetes.
• Ideas for "eating out".
• Exercise guidelines.
• Controlling low blood sugar at home.
• General health care: foot, eye, skin, dental.
• Supplies and products for people with diabetes.

Education meetings
Knowledge can help you make changes to improve control of diabetes and the quality of your life. That's one reason NorthCrest Medical Center sponsors monthly meetings for persons with diabetes and their families.

Each month a speaker with knowledge of special interest presents a different educational topic to offer more understanding of diabetes. Anyone who wants to know more about living with diabetes is welcome.

The group meets the fourth Tuesday of each month, at 7p.m. in NorthCrest Medical Center's conference rooms. You may park free in the visitor lot near the main entrance.

Special education seminars also are offered throughout the year.

How to participate
Call NorthCrest's diabetes program coordinator at 615/384-1756. Please give your name (or the patient's name, if you are calling for someone else) and telephone number, and the reason you want to be referred to the program. She will schedule an appointment.

This diabetes patient education program has been awarded Recognition by the American Diabetes Association in accordance with the National Standards for Diabetes Patient Education Programs.