Arkansas Children’s Hospital receives ADA recognition for Diabetes Education

Arkansas Children’s Hospital receives ADA recognition for Diabetes Education

From Hillary DeMillo Arkansas Children’s Hospital

LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas Children’s Hospital’s (ACH) Endocrinology and Diabetes program received this month the prestigious American Diabetes Association (ADA) Education Recognition Certificate, honoring its superior quality as a diabetes self-management initiative. ACH is the only pediatric diabetes education program in the state to receive this certification.

The recognition designates ACH Endocrinology and Diabetes as a program offering children and their families high-quality education, an essential component of effective diabetes treatment. ACH’s emphasis on this family-centered program is an example of how the hospital is making children better today and healthier tomorrow.

“The ADA certification is a nod from a respected national diabetes care program in regards to all of our hard work in making children with diabetes healthier,” said Jon Oden, MD, chief of Pediatric Endocrinology at ACH. “It implies our program meets or exceeds the strict national standards of care for this complex group of patients.”

Oden is also an associate professor of Pediatrics in the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Medicine.

The Association’s Education Recognition Certificate assures that educational programs meet the National Standards for Diabetes Self-Management Education Programs. These 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 and 2012.

Programs apply for recognition voluntarily.

Programs that achieve ADA recognition status have a staff of knowledgeable health professionals who can provide participants with comprehensive information about diabetes management.

Education recognition status is verified by an official certificate from ADA and awarded for four years.

Staff who were key to securing the ADA Education Recognition Certificate also include: — Diabetes Program & American Diabetes Association Coordinator Heather Cantrell, APRN, CDE, BC-ADM — Lindley Abrams, APRN — Diabetes Specialty Nurse Karen Hefner, RN, CDE — Diabetes Specialty Nurse Jennifer Sellers, RN, CDE — Diabetes Specialty Nurse Dana Thomas, RN — Meg Green, MS, RD, CSP, LD — Endocrinologist Paul Frindik, MD, also a professor of Pediatrics at UAMS.