Baton Rouge General Helps People with Diabetes Learn How to Manage Care

Baton Rouge, La. – At least one in eight Louisianans lives with diabetes, with another 32,000 citizens diagnosed each year. Baton Rouge General’s Diabetes Education and Nutrition Program has been educating people on strategies for managing their condition since 2013, and recently renewed its national accreditation.

Assisting nearly 500 patients per year, BRG’s Medicare-certified program offers diabetes and nutrition counseling, and helps those who are living with or who are at high risk of developing the disease understand the importance of lifestyle changes as well as how to monitor and interpret blood glucose levels.

The accreditation is by the American Association of Diabetes Educators, a National Accredited Organization certified by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. This distinction assures that BRG’s program meets the National Standards for Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support. Programs who meet this criteria are considered high quality and have been shown to improve the health status of the individuals who embrace the education and help to modify sometimes unhealthy behaviors, or simply provide the education that the person with diabetes has not previously received.

“This program has really helped open my eyes to all the ways I can take care of myself with diabetes. It has helped me feel less overwhelmed,” commented one program participant. Another said, “This experience was great. I had no idea I was in denial. Not anymore! I never took the time to check for education of this disease. Thank God…I could attend the classes.”

“Particularly with obesity on the rise, it’s more important than ever to be aware of this disease, how to prevent it, and how to manage it if you have it,” said Dr. Kenny Cole, Chief Clinical Transformation Officer at Baton Rouge General. “Well-controlled diabetes can mean the difference between enjoying an active lifestyle and living with kidney damage, loss of vision, and loss of limbs.”

Visit our Diabetes Education page to learn more about BRG’s Diabetes Education Program or call (225) 819-1175. To make an appointment with a Baton Rouge General Physician or to find a doctor, call 225-763-4500 or visit BRGPhysicians.com.

About Baton Rouge General Medical Center

Baton Rouge General Medical Center is the area’s first community hospital with 588 licensed beds between two campuses. Baton Rouge General opened its doors in 1900, and has provided the Greater Baton Rouge community with high-quality healthcare for generations. An accredited teaching hospital since 1991, Baton Rouge General serves as a satellite campus of Tulane University School of Medicine, and offers other medical education programs, including a School of Nursing, School of Radiologic Technology, Family Medicine Residency Program, Internal Medicine Residency Program, and Sports Medicine Fellowship Program. For more information, visit BRGeneral.org, find us on Facebook at Facebook.com/BatonRougeGeneral and follow us on Twitter at@BRGeneral.