Baton Rouge General Diabetes Program Earns Reaccreditation

Program helps reduce risk of related deaths and complications

Baton Rouge, La. – Today, Baton Rouge General’s Diabetes Education and Nutrition Program announced it has been reaccredited by the American Association of Diabetes Educators. At least 32,000 Louisianans are diagnosed with diabetes each year, and approximately one in eight residents lives with the condition. Since 2013, Baton Rouge General’s Diabetes Education and Nutrition Program has educated people on strategies for managing their condition. In the past year alone, BRG’s program helped nearly 500 people who live with or are at risk for diabetes implement lifestyle changes, lowering their A1C – a test that indicates the average level of blood sugar – and reducing the risk of diabetes-related death, heart disease and complications.

“Diabetes and obesity are prevalent in Louisiana and the numbers increase every day,” said Jeanene Thibaut, RN, CDE, Diabetes Education Coordinator at BRG’s Diabetes Education Program. “It is more important than ever for people with diabetes to have access to education that helps them learn how to change behaviors and manage this disease, prevent complications and have a better quality of life.”

BRG’s Medicare-certified program offers diabetes and nutrition counseling and helps people living with or who are at high risk of developing the disease understand the importance of lifestyle changes and how to monitor and interpret blood glucose levels. Accredited 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 that 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.

Visit BRGeneral.org/service/wellness/diabetes-education for more information on BRG’s Diabetes Education Program.

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.