Phelps' Diabetes Education Program Receives 'Center of Excellence' Honor

The following announcement is from Phelps Memorial Hospital Center:

Phelps Memorial Hospital Center’s Diabetes Education Program has once again received designation as a Center of Excellence from the American Diabetes Association. The program first received designation in 2010. Recertification must be achieved every four years. Phelps is one of only three hospitals in Westchester to receive the designation.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) 2012 statistics, almost 26 million Americans (8.3 percent of the US population) have diabetes; that is 1 out of every 10 Americans. By 2050 the CDC predicts 1 in 3 will have diabetes, which is the 7th leading cause of death in the US. People with diabetes spend 2.3 times more on medical expenses than people without diabetes.

The Diabetes & Metabolism Center at Phelps offers adults an integrated approach for managing diabetes, with convenient access in one location to a complete range of diabetes and specialty care. The Diabetes Self-Management Education program is a collaborative process through which patients gain knowledge and skills needed to manage their diabetes. They also learn about behavior modification, including healthy eating, being active, monitoring blood sugar, taking insulin or other medication, problem solving, healthy coping and reducing risk factors. Diabetes Self-Management Education classes are taught by a Registered Nurse and a Registered Dietitian, both of whom are Certified Diabetes Educators.

For newly diagnosed children and their families, Phelps offers specialized diabetes education programs as well as support groups.

Studies have shown that diabetes education will reduce the rate of complications, hospitalizations and healthcare costs. Hospital admissions are 34% fewer among patients who receive diabetes education; but unfortunately, only about one percent of Medicare patients received diabetes education from 2004-2005, according to the American Association of Diabetes Educators’ meta-analysis of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services reimbursement for diabetes education. According to the 2006 CDC report, the national cost of diabetes including direct and indirect costs were $192 billion/$40 billion respectively. A review of 250,000 Medicare recipients in 2008 found that diabetes education resulted in a cost savings of $160/month/patient for hospitalizations and a decrease in readmissions.

Katherine Kennedy Spiliotis, APRN, MSN, FAADE, Nurse Manager of the Phelps Diabetes and Metabolism Center, considers the diabetes program “vital to the community.”

For more information on diabetes education and support call 914-366-2270.

Phelps Memorial Hospital Center is a 238-bed acute care community hospital in Sleepy Hollow with more than 1,700 employees and 500 medical staff members representing 60 medical specialties. Phelps offers one of the broadest ranges of community hospital services in Westchester. Patients benefit from distinguished physicians, many of whom are pioneers in their field, offering the most advanced procedures using the latest technology. www.phelpshospital.org<http://www.phelpshospital.org>. Phelps’ multispecialty medical group, Phelps Medical Associates, has 14 practice locations on campus and in the surrounding communities. www.phelpsmedicalassociates.org<http://www.phelpsmedicalassociates.org>.

Photo: Jennifer Fox (l) is Outreach Specialist and Katherine Spiliotis (r) is Nurse Manager with the Diabetes and Metabolism Center at Phelps Memorial Hospital Center. The Diabetes Education Program received designation as a Center of Excellence from the American Diabetes Association. Photo credit: Phelps Memorial Hospital Center