he American Diabetes Association® (ADA), the nation’s leading organization committed to fighting diabetes by driving discovery through research and innovation, intensifying the urgency around the diabetes epidemic and supporting people living with and affected by diabetes, recently announced the recognition of Southeast Georgia Health System through the Education Recognition Program (ERP).

The ADA’s Education Recognition Certificate assures that educational services meet the National Standards for Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support (DSMES). The DSMES 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, 2012 and 2017. The ERP promotes quality Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support (DSMES) for people with diabetes by certifying that services adhere to the National Standards for DSMES.

“Daily self-management skills are absolutely essential for people to effectively navigate the 24/7 challenges of living with diabetes, helping to keep them healthy and prevent or delay the serious complications of diabetes,” said Linda Cann, MSEd, the ADA’s senior vice president of professional services. “We applaud Southeast Georgia Health System for its commitment to providing high-quality, evidence-based education and support for people with diabetes by meeting the National Standards for DSME/S and earning the ADA’s ERP recognition.”

Programs apply for recognition voluntarily, and ADA-ERP recognition lasts for four years. Services certified by the ADA’s ERP program offer a staff of knowledgeable health professionals who can provide participants with comprehensive information about diabetes management.

“The certification application process is voluntary, however, it gives professionals a national standard by which to measure the quality of services they provide,” says Sue Ullrich, RN, MA.Ed., CDCES, coordinator, Diabetes Program, Southeast Georgia Health System. “Therefore it assures the patient that he or she will likely receive high-quality care.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) 2022 National Diabetes Statistic Report there are 37.3 million people or 11.3% of the population in the United States who have diabetes. While an estimated 28.7 million have been diagnosed, unfortunately, 8.5 million people are not aware that they have the disease. Each day, more than 4,110 Americans are diagnosed with diabetes. Many will first learn that they have diabetes when they are treated for one of its life-threatening complications – heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness, nerve disease, and/or amputation. Diabetes is the eighth leading cause of death in the U.S. in 2019 as it contributed to 282,801 deaths. The ADA’s economic costs of diabetes in the U.S. in 2017 confirms diabetes as the nation’s most expensive chronic health care condition at $327 billion.

For more information about the Southeast Georgia Health System Diabetes Education Program, contact Ullrich at 912-466-1689 (Brunswick) or 912-576-6488(Camden) or visit sghs.org/diabetes-education.