Adult Services

Diabetes is a common disease, yet every individual needs unique care. At the Diabetes and Nutrition Center (DANC), our nurses, registered dietitians and diabetes educators work with your doctor to help you manage your diabetes. We can help you learn about your medicines and how they work, show you how to use your glucose monitor and/or insulin pump, and help you with a plan for making healthy lifestyle choices.

Services

• Group and individual diabetes education visits
• Individual medical nutrition therapy (MNT) visits with a registered dietitian (MNT is offered to people with diabetes and pre-diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia (high lipids or fats in the bloodstream), metabolic syndrome, and those who need assistance with weight management.)
• Group classes for intensive insulin therapy
• Insulin pump instruction
• Inpatient diabetes education and management
• Continuous glucose monitoring

Our diabetes educators help you learn how to make healthy eating and physical activity a part of your lifestyle. They also help can help you understand how your medications work, teach you how to monitor your blood sugar to avoid the risk of complications, and give you encouragement and support so you can problem-solve and adjust emotionally to diabetes. We will send your referring physician status updates so he or she can monitor your progress.

Working with a diabetes educator at DANC may lead to a number of positive results, such as:

• Improved blood sugar levels
• Reduced risk of developing complications
• Weight loss
• Overall positive behavior change through lifestyle modification

Helping You Manage Your ABC’s

To manage diabetes, you will work with your health care team to make a plan that helps you reach your goals. Together, you'll keep track of the ABCs of diabetes:

A is for A1C: Your A1C check tells you your average blood glucose for the past 2-3 months. It's the "blood check with a memory."

B is for blood pressure: Your blood pressure numbers tell you the force of blood inside your blood vessels. When your blood pressure is high, your heart has to work harder.

C is for cholesterol: Your cholesterol numbers tell you about the amount of fat in your blood. Some kinds, like HDL cholesterol, help protect your heart. Others like LDL cholesterol, can clog your blood vessels and lead to heart disease. Triglycerides are another kind of blood fat that raises your risk for heart attack or stroke.