Adventist Health Sonora's Diabetes Resource Center recently received the American Diabetes Education Recognition Certificate for a quality diabetes self-management education program. The certificate is awarded every four years by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) to organizations that meet standards defined by the National Diabetes Advisory Board.
Since its opening last October, Adventist Health Sonora's Diabetes Resource Center has seen a steady increase in people seeking help to manage their diabetes. "We already have 60 physician-referred patients, and the number keeps growing every month," says Rodriguez-Serva. She adds that the center is also helping community members through its "PreventT2" program, a year-long course designed to help people with prediabetes prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes.
"Diabetes can be a difficult disease to manage, so we want to be a part of their health-care team," says Jodie Rodriguez, outpatient dietician at Adventist Health Sonora. "People now have somewhere to go for whole-person help and support." At the resource center, patients receive help with monitoring blood glucose, eating a balanced diet, managing medications, setting goals for exercise and dealing with stress. Personalized treatment plans also include referrals for other services and specialists when needed.
People with diabetes can live long, healthy lives as long as their disease is properly managed. Poorly controlled diabetes can cause a variety of complications including nerve damage, trouble healing wounds and cardiovascular disease. An estimated 7,000 people live with diabetes in Tuolumne and Calaveras Counties.
One of the Diabetes Resource Center's goals is to reduce the diagnosis of diabetes by more than 50 percent in our community. With that goal in mind, they will offer a new PreventT2 track in October 2018. A physician referral is not required but is recommended. Enrollment is limited. For more information, please call (209) 536-3720 or visit www.adventisthealthsonora.org/diabetes-care. If you have been diagnosed with diabetes and would like to make use of the Diabetes Resource Center, obtain a medical referral from your physician.