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Diabetes is a 24 hours a day, 7 days a week condition. That' why RWJ Hamilton offers a continuum of care that is both comprehensive and individualized.
The goal of the Diabetes Self-Management Program is to offer one-on-one education to our patients about the importance of self-management and how to apply the basic principles to their everyday lives. To do this, we have three methods of communicating with patients: through inpatient care, on an outpatient level, and through support and continued education.
Care during inpatient stays
Often patients are diagnosed with diabetes after being admitted to the hospital with diabetes-related symptoms. Other patients have been previously diagnosed, but due to a change in management or progression of the disease, they come into the hospital with a resulting complication.
When a patient with diabetes is receiving treatment in our hospital, the patient may be referred to the Diabetes Self-Management Program by a physician, nurse or registered dietician, or the patient can even request the service. This program offers the patient a one-on-one consultation with our certified diabetes educator (CDE).
During the consultation, the CDE will discuss self-management principles including consistent monitoring of blood glucose, dietary management and the importance of exercise.
Care as an outpatient
You don’t have to be admitted to the hospital to receive the helpful one-on-one counseling offered through our Diabetes Self-Management Program. Our certified diabetes educators are also available by appointment. With a referral from your doctor, you can set up a time to meet with a CDE to talk about your condition and how you can get control.
Through the Diabetes Self-Management Program, patients can also have one-on-one counseling from a registered dietician. Patients learn the importance of meal planning and how certain foods impact blood glucose levels.
Support & Education
The support and education programs offered through RWJ Hamilton are among the best available. In fact, our Diabetes Self-Management Program has been awarded an Education Recognition Certificate by the American Diabetes Association for three consecutive terms.
The Diabetes Support Group is a free service for those living with diabetes and their loved ones. The group meets monthly at the RWJ Hamilton main campus in the Outpatient Services Auditorium from 7 to 8 p.m. Certified diabetes educators Trish Patsaros, RN, MSN, CDE, and Gerry Jaekel, RN, BSN, CDE, offer information and support. For more information about this group, call 609.689.7151.
Beyond the one-on-one counseling and programs offered on the hospital campus, you are invited to join us at any of our community education programs held at the RWJ Hamilton Center for Health and Wellness. Programs include Dining Healthy with Diabetes and free Glucose Screenings. To learn more about these programs or to find out program schedules, call 609.584.5900.
To learn more about diabetes, visit our iHealth library .
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